Evil Angel
by spirithorse
Summary: Sequel to Your Guardian Angel. As a guardian angel, Dartz was excited to make a difference. He soon found himself wondering how to protect his charge against a world of people who would hurt him. He never expected to find his adversary. YYxY, BxR
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Welcome to the sequel to Heaven's Not Enough and Your Guardian Angel. It's going to be the last in this series for the foreseeable future, mostly because I found this story a bear to write. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this as it has taken so long to come out.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel, they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Evil Angel**

**Chapter One**

There was a long silence as he stood before the two of them, the elder struggling to comprehend what had been told to him. His mouth dropped open and snapped shut, the action repeating itself a few times before he was able to find his voice. "But you said that he was dead. The dead don't just come back!"

"He did! And-" The smaller of the two quieted as his taller companion rested a hand on his arm.

"It's a long story that is not suitable for such an early hour." At the glare that he received, the taller leaned back, matching the expression. "My intentions remained unchanged; that is all that should matter."

"No." The elder shook his head. "Now it is different."

"It has not changed. I am still going to love him even if…" The taller trailed off giving his head a shake as if dismissing what he was about to say as unimportant. "I won't take him away from you. He's the only family you have left and I understand how much that means to you. All I ask is for a second chance and for you to try and believe me."

There was another pause, the elder and the taller of the three continuing to stare at each other while the third fidgeted. Finally, the elder broke, rubbing a hand over his face before waving it with a sigh. "You have my full attention."

The taller of the three nodded before sitting down, the smaller curling up on his lap. The taller didn't speak for a while, just holding the smaller teenager in his lap. He focused on a tile on the floor before looking up at the elder. "Noa was my business partner…"

* * *

Dartz shifted nervously, tugging at the ends of the white button down shirt had he had on. He took a deep breath and forced himself to stop twitching, twitching wouldn't make anything better. If anything, it would make it worse. He took another deep breath, training his eyes on the angels that stood in front of him, watching as they arranged themselves, one taking an ornate scroll from another and stepping forward. Dartz's gold eyes widened, leaning slightly forward.

This was it. They were going to give out the guardianships now.

He paid rapt attention as the names were called out, the new guardian angels being assigned to an angel that stood up on the dais. There they would put in their request for a charge and find out who would be working around them. Dartz nearly jumped when they called his name, his eyes going wide.

It had finally happened. After days of waiting it had finally happened.

He managed to contain his excitement until the meeting was adjourned, nearly sprinting from his place to go find the angel he was to speak to. In his distracted state, he nearly ran into her, flailing as he kept from falling backwards. "I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies. Follow me." The slim woman waved her hand, turning to head away from the main crowd. Dartz was confused as to why she walked instead of flying, his confusion stopping as she leaned back against a cloud, smiling as she relieved another angel of a heavy purple book. "Do you have a specific request?"

"Somewhere where I could see my family." Dartz swallowed harshly as he spoke. He had agonized over his decision for weeks. At first, he had wanted to watch over his adopted daughter, but had decided that it would have been too painful. After all, he could only watch as Rebecca grew up without him and watch his wife, Iona, move on without him. It would be too much for him to bear; tying himself to them until they died. So he had forced himself to consider alternatives.

If he could find a person who needed his guidance close to them, then he could still check up on them, see Rebecca grow up. And the visits would be brief, brief enough for him not to be tempted to stay too long.

Dartz swallowed at the woman's confused look. "I…I just want to be able to check in on them every once and a while, but…"

The woman smiled, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I understand. Now, let me see." She opened the book, flipping rapidly through the pages until she came to a stop, resting a finger in the middle of the page and scanning it over. She sighed, flipping a few pages back and forth before nodding. "Alright, I think I've found one."

"Really?"

The woman nodded, scanning over the page in front of her before slamming the book shut. "His name is Tomoya Hanasaki and he'll be moving to Domino City. It's the closest I could find to your family."

Dartz was too busy smiling to care. Domino was close to the little suburb he and Iona had moved into a few months ago. He could still see his family. Dartz shook his head to clear it, irritably pushing his aqua hair out of his eyes. "How will I know him?"

"You will. It's part of being a guardian angel." The woman smiled before resting the book on her hip. "There is one other guardian angel already there, you two can talk, if you want to. Arrange times when he can look after both your charges while you go and check up on your family. And I'll be checking up on you two now and again from up here."

She held out her hand with a smile. "My name is Isis."

Dartz took the hand and shook it, smiling broadly. "Thank you, Isis. Thank you so much."

Isis laughed, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "I'll just get this all entered in records and then we'll take you down to where you can find your charge."

He resigned himself to a few more hours of waiting, telling himself that it was worth it. Dartz remained leaning against the cloud, taking deep breaths to calm himself. This was the closest he had been to going back home since the accident that had led to him coming here.

He shivered at the memory, his hand inching up to his chest where the bullet had gone through his heart. He should have known better than to go that way to get to the bus, but he had been in a hurry and not thinking. If he had taken the longer route, he would have still been alive.

Things happened for a reason, so he must have been allowed to die for a reason. Dartz shrugged to himself, the logic not sitting well with him. He could argue philosophy with himself all day, but it still wouldn't change anything. And changing things is what he was trying to do. He had worked with a company out to help the world through emissions reducing products. They had been planning to adopt another child so that Rebecca would have someone to play with and another child would be given the chance to live in a loving family. And they had moved to the suburb just to be sure that Rebecca would have a better environment to grow up in.

He simply wanted to save the world, not in big ways, but it small ones. If he could help a person or two in his lifetime, then he would be happy. And this was his perfect chance to. He had all of eternity to help people through their lives, to watch over them and keep them safe from the cruel world around them. Dartz smiled to himself, not aware that Isis was returning. This he could live with.

"Dartz?" He jumped at the sound of his name being called, giving Isis a sheepish smile. The woman returned his smile before walking to the nearest edge and spreading her wings. "First thing you should probably do is just watch him and don't interfere. Figure out where he lives and where his hang outs are."

"But-"

"If the situation is life threatening, then you should interfere, but this is just to get to know your charge. And keep in mind that he is adjusting to a new environment as well." Isis carefully tucked her hair back behind her ears, giving her wings an experimental flap. "You will be called back to heaven at times, which means that you need to be able to find your charge quickly after returning to earth."

Dartz reluctantly nodded before spreading his own wings, shifting nervously on the edge before stepping off, flapping his wings before he began to plummet; still not used to the idea of flying after spending all of his life earthbound. He looked over at Isis, relieved that the angel was not laughing at his awkward attempt. The two of them began to head down to earth, Dartz surprised that it was dark.

Isis began to circle lazily above the city, Dartz copying her after a moment. The woman stared at something around her wrist before sighing. "Take a moment to look around the city, get a feel of the layout. And, if you want to, check in on your family. But, be at the local high school by seven. Your charge should be showing up then. I have some business to take care of while I am down here."

He nodded, flying up higher to get a better view of the city below him. He glanced at the tall skyscrapers, trying to get a feel for the place. Without his permission, he felt his eyes sliding towards the river that seemed to divide the city in half. From the rundown appearance of the buildings, Dartz guessed that it must have been the slums. He shook his head at the sight of bright lights, probably bars and casinos, the rotten heart at the core of human civilization. Hopefully his charge would never go there.

Feeling like he knew the general layout, he turned and shot off towards the nearest suburb, following the main road out of Domino City. Very soon his eyes began to pick up familiar landmarks, finally spotting the house that his family had moved into just a few months ago.

Dartz landed outside, walking up to the door. He tried to grab the handle, surprised when his hand went right through. He shivered before walking inside, heading up the stairs. Iona would be putting Rebecca to bed about now, meaning that he would get a chance to see the two of them. He raced up the stairs, taking the familiar route to his adopted daughter's bedroom.

"When is daddy coming back?" Dartz stopped at tear filled voice of his adopted daughter, cautiously peeking around the doorframe. Iona was sitting on the pink comforter, gently stroking the blonde hair of their adopted daughter.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart; your father can't come back. He's in heaven now."

"Why did he go there?"

"It was," Iona paused before shaking her head, "just his time, Rebecca."

Their adopted daughter sniffed, reaching for her teddy bear. "Does he know that I got a check on my drawing?"

"He sees everything you do. And he's very proud of you."

Rebecca nodded, seeming to think over something before smiling. "Then I'll always be the best. Then Daddy can be proud of me all the time."

Iona laughed and kissed Rebecca's forehead. "I'm sure he's always proud of you, sweetheart. Now, go to sleep."

Rebecca nodded, yawning before she curled up on the bed. Iona stood up and was about to walk away when Rebecca opened one eye. "Teddy needs a kiss goodnight too."

"Of course. How could I forget?" Iona leaned over and kissed the teddy bear before walking out of the room, shutting off the light behind her. Rebecca settled back under the covers, quickly falling asleep.

Dartz stepped out of the way as Iona pivoted to stand out in the hall, one hand moving up to cover her mouth as tears ran down her face. He swallowed harshly before wrapping his arms around her, slumping when she didn't seem to feel it. "It's alright, love. I'm still here for the both of you."

Iona walked through him, heading for their room, her room now. And Dartz could do nothing but stand and watch her go. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before walking into Rebecca's room, spotting something on her desk. He walked over, glancing as his adopted daughter before staring at the drawing. The three of them and their house was carefully rendered in crayon, a check and a sticker adorning the upper right hand corner of the drawing.

He moved away from the desk, leaning over Rebecca to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm very proud of you, darling."

Rebecca muttered something in her sleep, turning to face him. Dartz smiled sadly, running his hand through her hair and watching as the motion did nothing. He glanced at the clock. It was only 8:30; he could by back in Domino in less than half an hour. Which meant he could spend the whole night with the ones he really loved.

"I'm sorry I can't be there for you, darling."

* * *

Yami woke up to a light touch on his shoulder, rolling away from the warmth that was Yugi to glare at the person who dared wake him up. He sat up, the blanket pooling around his waist as he glared sleepily at the angel who was staring at him in shock. Yami sighed, glancing over at the clock to see that it was only an hour until Yugi had to wake up to go to school. Ungodly in his point of view. He ran a hand through his hair before glaring at Isis. "What?"

"I was…I…Am I disturbing something?"

Yami looked back over his shoulder at Yugi, blinking slowly as he realized that the smaller teen's top had ridden up sometimes during the night. Yami smothered another yawn before looking back at Isis. "Sleep. That's about it."

The angel relaxed, placing a hand over her chest where her heart would have been beating, leaning back against Yugi's desk. She took a moment to compose herself before pushing away from the desk and beginning to pull a golden band off her arm. Yami swung his legs from the bed, staring at the angel.

"There is another guardian angel assigned to Domino."

"Really." Yami yawned again, absently reaching back for Yugi's hand as the smaller teenager moaned in his sleep.

"Yes. And I am in charge of him as well. But I want you to work with him. Think of it as an extra guard for Yugi."

"I'd rather there only be one person looking after Yugi."

"Don't be so possessive, Atemu." The golden band came off, Isis staring at it for a moment before grabbing Yami's arm. He let her, too sleepy to care at the moment. He felt a tingle run up his arm before a gentle weight pulling on his back. Yami turned his head, his eyes widening at the transparent wings that sprouted from his shoulders. With a trembling hand he reached back to touch them, shuddering as his hand went through the white feathers.

"What?" He shivered as the wings suddenly disappeared, leaving him shivering. Yami glanced back at Isis, watching the angel as she folded her own wings.

"I figured out how to keep your halo with you at all times. It will make it easier for the other angel to find you."

"And, if I put it on?" Yami glared at Isis. He really didn't want to suddenly die if he had to do that. He was enjoying his second chance at life. He looked back at Yugi, squeezing the smaller teen's hand. "What will happen then?"

"Nothing." Isis shrugged. "It will not even act as anything more than a golden band here. We just needed something to identify you. After all, you are completely alive now."

Yami nodded, moving his right arm to watch the band skitter up and down it. He gave his arm a final shake before looking up at Isis. The woman smiled at him before pushing off the ground, flapping her wings to remain up in the air. "I wish you luck, Atemu."

She rose further, easily passing through the roof. Yami stared after her before rubbing his free hand over his face. He wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep tonight, which would be horrible considering the full day he had. He sighed and let his hand fall back to the side, looking up at what sky he could see from the skylight.

Two years and two weeks ago he had been murdered by his business partner, the man sending a car slamming into him. That same day, he had found a way to cheat death, which had lead him to Yugi. And, for Yugi, he had died again, saving the boy before going after the watch that kept him alive. Two years had passed before he had been sent back to earth to retrieve a valuable artifact, and he had returned only because of his guardian angel position, his charge currently sleeping behind him.

The past few days had been hectic, Yugi having to convince his grandfather that Yami wasn't an evil spirit, that he was really alive again. Quiet talks had followed, Yami attempting to explain everything to his hostile audience. After all, it had not been his fault that the angels had kept him away from Yugi. And, slowly, the hostility had broken down, allowing Yami to continue with his job.

He rubbed his forehead, feeling the golden band slide around on his arm, peeking out of the corner of his eye at the clock that sat beside him. There would be no sleep for him tonight, a shame since he would be helping Yugi's grandfather in the shop until Yugi returned home. And, tomorrow, he would be accompanying Yugi to school. While they would not be in exactly the same classes, it was closer to his charge than the game shop. And he would rather stay close.

"Mm, Yami?" The taller teenager turned back around with a smile, watching Yugi open his purple eyes. Yugi blinked sleepily before tugging gently on the hand that he held. "Sleep."

"Of course, aibou." Yami smiled before shifting to lie back on the bed, Yugi cuddled in front of him. The smaller teenager twitched at the cold brush of metal against his side before falling back to sleep, Yami still wide awake as he held the teenager close. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the nearest wall, his mind still working furiously.

Who was this angel? More importantly, would they even accept him? He had been to hell once, and had escaped from that damnation because of his sacrifice. But the other angels, most of them, thought he should have remained there. He was the angel that had messed up, who was too corrupted for their paradise. This angel would probably know of his reputation. And then he would have to put up with a soul who was trying to be righteous.

Yami didn't need anyone's approval of his actions, too used to living on his own. He had once controlled of one of the most successful casinos on the other side of the river that divided Domino. He was used to hardship and fighting, it had become a fact of his life.

He sighed, resting his chin on Yugi's shoulder. It didn't matter. He would continue to act as he always had. Nothing could stop him from being close to Yugi. Heaven and hell had not managed achieve that, so there was no earthly power that could do it either. Yami gave a short snort, resigning himself to whatever stuck up soul had decided to visit their righteousness on Domino before closing his eyes, sleep still evading him.

* * *

Tomoya Hanasaki stared out the window of the car and into the rain, watching the drops fall on the window and run down the shatterproof glass. He leaned his head against the cool window, his blonde hair pushed to the side. From his position he could see the city through the falling water, grey like the rest of the day. He sighed, and pushed away from the window, looking up towards the driver's seat at his mother.

His mother gave him a smile through the rearview mirror as she noticed him looking forward, Tomoya not wanting to return it. She sighed, turning her eyes back to the road. "This school won't be as bad as your old one, Tomoya."

He didn't comment, just turned to look back out the window. Of course it would be as bad. He was small for his age and quiet, not a good combination; wearing glasses on top of that just made things worse. He would always get picked on because he was alone, the old adage safety in numbers not applying to him. There had once been another person who had kept people from beating him up, but that reprieve had disappeared a long time ago.

"When we get home, I can help you with your room. Maybe put up some of those Zombire posters again?" Tomoya looked back over at his mother, licking his lips before settling back in his seat, and settling for a lie.

"No. I'm just not in the mood for decorating." At least not with Zombire. He had once loved the American action hero, sharing all his collection with the one best friend he had made in his old home. But it was a childish thing, thinking that a superhero could save them all; like his view of the world at that time. But it had taken the space of a night for his childish view of the world to be broken.

The car pulled to a stop, his mother turning slightly to look at him. "You sure you don't want a ride home?"

"No, I have to get used to walking anyway." Tomoya gave her a strained smile, his mother sighing.

"Tomoya…"

"I'm fine, mom." He forced his smile to look less fake, his mother accepting the lie. "It's just a rainy day."

"Alright. See you after school."

Tomoya nodded and stepped out of the car, waving at his mother as she drove off, probably to help move the rest of their stuff in. He shrugged, adjusting his backpack into a better position before trudging through the gates of the school with the rest of the students, ignoring their stares.

He knew what they saw. They saw a small teenager with blonde hair, pale skin and blue eyes hidden by large glasses. They saw just another weakling, another quiet kid. They didn't look beyond the surface. Only one person had. And, personally, he didn't care anymore.

Tomoya walked quickly through the halls of the school, sitting down in his first period class near the middle of the row and close to the windows. He reached into his backpack for a pencil, shoving off his soaked jacket in the next moment before tapping the eraser of his pencil against the top of his desk, looking out the window.

It had nearly been four years since his only friend had disappeared from the face of the earth, taken from his apartment in the slums and his mother found murdered. That was the day he had lost his faith in superheroes, because no one had saved his one and only best friend. He had been exposed to the cruel world, stumbling into school the day after he found out only to be beaten up because there was now only one of him. It was some balm to him that they had found the killer, but there had been silence afterward.

The world just didn't care about Yugi Mutou.

Tomoya sighed and stared down at his desk as the rest of the class shuffled in, getting ready for a day filled with monotony. He ducked his head as the students stared at him, not sure of what to do. He was always awkward when first making friends, the reason that he didn't have many. He heard the teacher come in as well, looking up as the man began to talk, reaching down to pull a piece of paper out before automatically writing notes down.

It was three minutes into the class when he noticed that the blonde who was sitting in front of him kept looking back at the empty seat beside Tomoya. He glared at his notes, wondering what the behavior was about. His question was answered five minutes later when he heard someone come running into class. Tomoya kept his eyes glued to his notes as he listened to the conversation.

"Why are you late?"

"Miss Mason broke her leg."

"Ah yes, I remember."

"Well, she needed helping carrying things and we were going the same way, but we had to wait until the halls were mostly clear." There was a rustling as the kid dug around in his pockets. "She wrote me a note."

The paper rustled again, probably changing hands. Tomoya heard the teacher make a humming noise before slapping the paper onto his desk. "Alright. Please, take your seat."

"Thank you."

Tomoya tensed as the student walked his way, looking out the window as the student got closer. He tensed as he heard a bag dropping down to the ground and the sound of the student shuffling through his things as the teacher returned to his lecture. Tomoya took a deep breath before looking back down at his notes, keeping from looking at the boy who had sat next to him.

His self imposed silence lasted until the end of the period. Tomoya sighed as the bell rang, preparing to go through the rest of his dull day. It was bad enough to start school close to the middle of the year, but it was also raining. He leaned over to pack up his stuff, partially listening to the conversations around him. His attention was caught by the blonde that sat in front of him.

"Hey Yug', you alright? Or are ya still tryin' ta get ova…"

"I'm fine now, Joey." Tomoya froze at the voice, thinking that it sounded familiar. He slowed his packing to pay more attention. "In fact, I'm better than ever."

"Well…if you ever need us Yug' we're here for you."

"Thanks Joey, that means a lot."

"Yeah…jus' don't tell anyone else about this!"

A laugh came from the second person. "Of course, Joey."

Tomoya turned around at that moment, nearly running into the second speaker in the conversation. He gasped and stumbled backwards, unable to stop staring at the person. Was he real or would fate be so cruel?

It couldn't be because there was no other person that had that specific tri-colored hair, naturally rising in spikes. That hair…and those wide purple eyes. There was no way this person could be anyone other than, "Yugi!"

The teenager jumped at the shout of his name, a smile breaking across his face. "Hello Hanas-"

"You're allowed to call me Tomoya, Yugi." He smiled at the old argument between the two of them, too happy that his friend was alive to be angry. "We've been friends long enough for that."

"Alright." Yugi was still smiling, walking out with Joey slightly in front of him. The tri-color haired teen waited for Tomoya to catch up, reaching out to tug him along after them. "Joey, this is my friend Tomoya Hanasaki, from my old school."

"'ello. New here?"

"Yes."

Joey laughed, wrapping an arm around Tomoya's shoulders, the blonde not noticing the jump of surprise that the shorter boy gave. "We'll show ya around."

Tomoya looked nervously over at Yugi, relieved to see his friend smiling as he jogged to keep up with Joey. "Don't worry, Tomoya, he's harmless. I'll introduce you to the others later, unless you'd rather-"

"No." Tomoya shook his head. "I don't know anyone."

"What are ya talkin' about? You've got us." Joey smiled at him, the expression seeming to be genuine. "And anybody who made Yugi smile after his weeks straight from hell is alright by me."

Tomoya found himself propelled down the hallway, listening to the easy banter between the two with a smile that seemed to be stuck permanently to his face. Suddenly, it didn't matter that it was a new school, a new house or even that it was raining. He had found his lost friend again.

_

* * *

Yes, Dartz is a good guy and he does have an adopted daughter. I know Rebecca may be slightly OOC, but I needed it for this story. Tomoya Hanasaki is from the original manga._

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Two**

Dartz followed his charge carefully, trying to keep track of him and the landmarks around him. He was glad that his charge had cheered up. He had spent the whole of first period agonizing over what to do to help him, only to realize that he could do nothing. Thankfully, one of Tomoya's old friends had showed up, the same one that he was walking with now. Dartz smiled before jogging to keep pace with them.

The two were talking animatedly about past memories, dancing around one subject, but they both seemed happy enough about not mentioning it.

"So, where do you live?"

"Oh," Tomoya paused for a second, "I don't actually know the address yet. But its right beside the obnoxious game shop."

"Hey! That 'obnoxious game shop' is where I live."

The two burst into laughter at that, Dartz spying the building that they were talking about. He smiled at the sight of the place. It reminded him of the family shops that had colored the streets of the town where he had grown up. Regret filled him as he continued to look at the shop.

If only he hadn't died. He could have found this shop and taken Rebecca here. She was starting to show an aptitude for games. It looked like a nice little place and he knew from experience that such places depended on word of mouth rather than large impressive names to keep them afloat. He gave a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Nothing could be accomplished by simply wishing for it.

Tomoya turned to walk up to a house, Dartz trailing after him. The angel dodged around his charge, not wanting to pass through him as Tomoya waved goodbye to his friend before opening the door to his house. Dartz waited for the teenager to walk partially down the hall before following.

From what he could see, the house was sparsely decorated, something to be expected from a move. Dartz carefully stepped around the boxes, not wanting to walk through other peoples' things. He saw Tomoya dart upstairs out of the corner of his eye, following his charge silently.

The corridor upstairs was slightly narrower than the one downstairs, Dartz pulling in his wings to keep from hitting the walls. One door on the hall was open, Dartz peeking in to see that Tomoya was busy shuffling through his things. Then angel moved into the room, leaning against the edge of the desk to watch his charge.

Tomoya, while not as short as his friend Yugi, wasn't the tallest boy either. He was a quiet teenager, preferring to keep to himself if he was not surrounded by people he could trust. But he could be quiet the talker too. Dartz leaned back on his hands as Tomoya passed by, dropping a binder onto the desk with a smile. He continued to putter about his room, sorting through his things.

The sun was setting when he was called down to diner, Dartz about to follow him when his eyes spotted something sticking out of the binder. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes catching about a quarter of Yugi's face before the picture was cut off by the binder. He blinked, wondering why Yugi would be in the newspaper. His musings were cut off by the bold title that was splayed across the top of the page.

14 YEAR OLD MISSING.

Dartz's eyes widened, his gaze going toward the house next door. But Yugi was here, safe and sound. He certainly didn't look like a kidnapped child. And what kidnapper would allow their hostage to blithely go about their normal activities? He stared nervously at the page before leaning to look through the door.

It felt like prying if he opened the binder without the permission of his charge. But he technically wasn't alive, so he didn't know if that counted. Deciding that, for Yugi's sake, he would open it, Dartz moved forward, concentrating on his hand. Hopefully, if he wanted something strongly enough, he could move solid objects. After all, it could save a life.

He felt his hand tingle as he touched the binder, watching in amazement as he was able to open it, the cover falling neatly to one side to reveal an article, some of it hanging out of the book. Dartz carefully nudged it back into place, skimming over it while watching for his charge to return to the room.

Dartz felt his eyes widen as he read the story. About four years ago, Yugi Mutou had been taken from his home and his mother murdered. At the time this article was published, there had been no leads on the murder and the kidnapping, just silence. Dartz narrowed his eyes, reaching out to turn the page again when he heard Tomoya coming back up. He quickly flipped the binder shut again, moving out of the way as the boy entered the room.

Tomoya paused at his desk, gently running a finger over the surface of the binder before laughing, stowing it away in a drawer. Dartz mentally reminded himself to read the rest of the articles in the binder, wanting to find out more about Yugi. For now, he contented himself with watching his charge unpack, keeping an eye on the sky as sunset approached. When it was dark he was going to have his first meeting with the angel who was already here. He shifted so he could sit in the chair, contenting himself with his watching and waiting.

* * *

Yugi walked into the shop, disappointed when he saw that Yami wasn't there. He smiled at his grandfather, relaxing when the elderly man pointed upstairs. Yugi bounded up the stairs to the living room, pausing at the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. Cautiously, he walked to the doorway, watching as Yami paced across a small section of the floor, talking to someone on the phone.

"Yes. But, technically, I was never tried so, therefore, never should have been in there in the first place." There was a pause before Yami sighed. "I am quite aware that I escaped, but it was in my rights."

Another pause.

"I was held against my will!"

Yami's pacing speed up as he got more agitated, glaring at the floor. "They were bribed; the police, the witnesses, everyone! Hell, I told you I didn't get a trial." Yami swallowed harshly for a moment. "They were talking about putting me on death row, Mai. I was seventeen and they were talking about putting me on death row because my business partner thought I was annoying. I think I deserve this second chance.

"It's not like I'm asking to become a world leader, I just want to go to school. And, if I hadn't escaped, then I would have been allowed to go."

Yami sighed, Yugi hearing a woman's voice over the phone. The voice calmed down from a yell as Yami leaned against the wall. "Mai, please, I've found a place here, a family too. Just let this work. I've seen what the system has done, I can take you to meet my sister and all you will find it a cross stuck in the ground. We have to take care of ourselves, so that's what I'm doing. You're the only thing stopping me."

There was another pause and a vague murmur from the phone. Yugi shifted nervously as Yami suddenly relaxed, head tipped back against the wall to expose his neck. "Thank you."

He pulled the phone away from his ear, a smile on his face as Yugi walked over. The smaller teen wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, taking a deep breath as he relaxed as well. He had been waiting all day for this, part of him afraid that Yami would be gone again as soon as he got home, disappearing again. But Yami was here.

"So…"

"I wore her down, aibou." Yami pulled away, taking Yugi's hand as they walked up to his room, listening to Solomon handling the afternoon rush. Yugi was immediately pulled into a kiss as soon as the door was shut, moaning as he was pressed against the wood of the door. His arms went around Yami's neck, pulling the taller teenager closer to him.

All too soon Yami pulled away, chuckling as Yugi leaned forward in a subtle invitation to continue the kiss. He was disappointed as Yami shook his head, walking over to sprawl over the bed. Yugi gave a small sound of annoyance before moving over to where Yami lay, letting himself fall over the older teen, smiling at the grunt that Yami gave.

"I met one of my old friends today."

"Really?"

Yugi nodded, shifting so he was resting beside Yami. "From before I was kidnapped. He's moved in next door."

Yami hummed, Yugi resting his head on Yami's chest so he could feel the vibrations. He smiled to himself, staying there just to listen to Yami's heart beat, remembering a time when the organ had been silent. He frowned to himself, one hand slipping under Yami's shirt to rest against his boyfriend's side, his fingers running over the scars that were there, the only thing that remained of the damage done to Yami by the demon.

He jumped as he felt a hand grab his own, gently removing it from under Yami's shirt. Yugi stared guiltily at Yami before glancing away, flinching as Yami sat up and rested a hand on his cheek. "Yugi…"

Yugi shook his head and simply leaned into the touch with a sigh. It was still too soon after the events had happened, part of his mind still telling him that he had lost Yami for good. Joey was right, it had been weeks from hell, Yugi dragging himself through life because it was a distraction, a way to get through the tears. But that was all behind him.

"I'm fine." Yami nodded, understanding what was bothering Yugi. The smaller teenager found himself being pulled into a hug, sighing as he felt Yami's warmth surrounding him. Yugi gave a shaky sigh before smiling. "So, excited about school?"

Yami snorted, shaking his head. "I am only excited about spending more time around you and going back across the river to visit the kids. School is not high on my list."

Yugi smiled before gently pushing against Yami's chest with his shoulder, relaxing when he heard Yami laugh. They remained like that for a while, holding onto each other. It was Yami that pulled away first, carefully untangling himself from Yugi. "You have schoolwork, Yugi and I have official guardian angel business as soon as the sun goes down."

He laughed and reached for his backpack, flopping back onto his bed as Yami deserted it. "And what business would that be?"

Yami looked over at him, stopping mid-stretch. He completed the stretch after a moment of stillness, waiting until he was done with the movement before answering. "Apparently, there is another angel here to watch over someone. And, as I have been your angel for almost a week, that makes me the senior angel around here."

He broke into laughter again as Yami rolled his eyes in exasperation, noticing that his boyfriend was fiddling with a thin golden band around his wrist, something that Yami hadn't had before. Yugi kneeled on his bed, reaching out for Yami's arm and guiding it closer before fiddling with the band. "Where did you get this?"

"Isis." Yami sat heavily on the bed beside him, turning the band around his wrist. "She came last night and woke me up to give me this." He waved his hand a bit. "It's my halo."

"But I thought halos had to fit on your head." Yugi carefully pulled the band from Yami's wrist, holding it up in the light before shaking his head. "This couldn't possibly do that. See?"

He held the band above Yami's hand, yelping and jumping backwards as it suddenly expanded to its proper size and started to hover. White wings appeared from Yami's back, stretching out before folding themselves neatly against his shirt. Yugi backed away as Yami turned his head to look at them, reaching out to brush his hand over the feathers before looking at Yugi. "I…I don't understand."

Yugi shook his head and crawled back over, carefully reaching out to touch the wings, not prepared for the shiver that Yami gave. He pulled away a bit, just the tips of his fingers brushing over the feathers, watching the dimming light fall over them. Yugi looked at Yami as the teenager moaned, noticing for the first time that Yami had fisted his hands in the covers, his eyes shut tight. Sensing his gaze, Yami opened one eye carefully. "Don't tease, Yugi."

"Oh." Yugi thought about pulling away, but instead brushed the very tips of his fingers over the feathers, moving closer to the base of the wings that was hidden from his sight. "It feels good?"

The response was a long drawn out moan from Yami, the teenager shuddering under the touch. Yugi swallowed nervously before pulling away, reaching out with a trembling hand to rest on Yami's, jumping at the slight twitch of muscles from the taller teen. They sat in silence, Yugi tensing at the long, shaky sigh that Yami gave, the taller teenager leaning over to rest his head on Yugi's shoulder. "Aibou…"

"I'm sorry, Yami. I…I should have stop-" Yugi cut himself off as he felt Yami nuzzle his neck, biting his lip to keep a sound from escaping. By an unspoken agreement between the two, they had waited to move any further in their relationship. It was still too soon, the wounds that had been opened with the fight against the demon were still too fresh. There was a fear that they could lose the other at any moment.

Yugi shuddered as Yami's breath ghosted across his neck, his hand tightening over Yami's, gasping as the hand was pulled out from under his to wrap around his waist. He was pulled closer to Yami, eventually urged to straddle the taller teen's lap as Yami pulled him closer. He tipped his head back as Yami began to nuzzle and kiss his neck, his hands pushing under Yami's shirt to caress his back. Yugi twitched as Yami hummed against his neck, his own fingers brushing against the base of his wings. "Yami…"

The taller teen groaned before pulling away, staring at Yugi through partially lidded eyes. Yugi shuddered at the lust that he saw in Yami's eyes, leaning forward to kiss Yami. He whimpered as the taller teen pulled back, panting slightly. Yami reached up to pull the halo from his head, the golden band immediately shrinking to a bracelet size and his wings disappearing. Yugi ran his fingers over the skin where the wings had once been, looking up as Yami gently pushed him away. "Yami?"

"Slow down, aibou." Yami swallowed harshly, taking a deep breath. "We don't want to rush into anything."

Yugi licked his lips, shuddering at the stare that Yami gave him. It was easy for Yami to say that, but it was harder for them to both abide by that. He swallowed, shifting slightly on Yami's lap. "What if I don't want to?"

"We have- oh gods, aibou." Yami leaned back as Yugi squirmed on his lap, groaning. "We have other things to do."

Yugi sighed and allowed himself to be removed from Yami's lap, accepting the cuddle that the taller teen gave in compensation. He pulled Yami close, enjoying the contact before the taller teen let him go, standing up slowly and pulling the halo back over his wrist. Yugi watched as Yami hesitated, staring out at the setting sun before heading for the door. "I'll be on the roof if you need me."

"Alright." Yugi was sure that he had the same strained smile on his face that Yami had, both of them consciously acting against their true wishes. He waited until Yami had left before he threw himself back with a groan, one arm falling over his face.

He didn't understand why Yami was so reluctant to take the next step, especially when both of them so obviously wanted it. He groaned in frustration, his other hand fisting in the covers by his side. It was especially hard when they had become so used to sleeping in the same bed, Yugi often having to rush off to a shower before school, the downside being that he had to scramble over his boyfriend to accomplish this.

Yugi sighed, removing his arm from over his eyes, shifting uncomfortably on his bed. He should probably get a start on his homework; get a few things done before he was called down to dinner. But first, Yugi lifted his head up, groaning before forcing himself to sit up. First, he would probably need another shower.

* * *

Yami took a deep breath of the cool air, relaxing as he calmed down. He had almost gone too far with Yugi. But it was difficult to resist the smaller teenager, especially knowing that Yugi wanted it just as much as he did. Yami groaned before pushing away from the ground and standing up, running a hand through his hair.

He was reluctant because, of many things. He was still shaken over the fight with the demon, unsure if the angels in heaven would pull him back suddenly. He got the feeling that Isis had not acted with their permission when she sent him back to earth alive. So it was a legitimate fear. And then there was the also nagging feeling that, as Yugi's guardian angel, he was not supposed to encourage such corruption in his charge.

But that shouldn't have mattered, because he had never listened to those angels before. And he had returned with the purpose of never leaving Yugi again. But the scars that covered his body from the various wounds that had caused his demises were a reminder that he couldn't always be sure of that. Yami rubbed his side at the memory, knowing that there would be four circular scars on either side of his body. He was very reluctant to acknowledge them, let alone show them to Yugi. It was like acknowledging that he wouldn't always be here.

A fact that he didn't want to admit.

He hadn't seen Yugi's friends again since the demon incident, but he had heard from Solomon that Yugi had basically fallen apart with his death; which had not been what he had intended. But he hadn't been thinking about anything else but saving Yugi from his untimely death. After all, he had died before. And he would do anything to save Yugi.

Yami tensed as he sensed something, the feeling familiar. He fought not to gag at the heavenly smell, raising one arm to cover his nose, a cough escaping him. He hated that smell of lotus and honey, too used to the stink of the city and hating the reminder of what heaven was to him. He closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head before stepping further out into the open.

There was a slow beat of wings, his only warning before the angel landed on the roof. Yami stumbled back at the smell of heaven, quickly getting himself under control as the angel folded his wings, looking around.

Yami took the moment to look at the angel, surprised to see that he didn't quite recognize the angel. The man was wearing a white button down shirt with blue jeans, no sign of the robes that most of the angels wore. The man's aqua hair was cut short, but Yami suspected that had been a recent change, especially with the long bangs that hung around the man's face when he turned around.

He crossed his arms as the man looked him over, raising an eyebrow at the obvious scrutiny he was undergoing. Yami's fingers brushed over the golden band on his wrist, playing with it before pulling it off. He fiddled with it absently while the man looked him over, not happy with the emotions that obviously ran across the man's face.

The silence stretched on some more, Yami finally giving in and tossing his halo above his head, watching the man's face carefully as the familiar weight of his wings resettled onto his back. He stretched them out before folding them against his back, watching the man squirm. "So, you are the new angel?"

"Yes." The man shifted nervously, Yami raising an eyebrow at the move. The man sighed, running a hand through his hair before staring at it. "I was expecting someone else because-"

Yami glared at the man, giving an annoyed sigh. "Because I'm not what you expect as an angel?"

"Because you're so young." Yami paused at the statement, the arms that he had crossed across his chest dropped a bit. There were many other things that the man could have told him; that he couldn't have been a guardian angel or that he was nothing like he expected. To say the least, it was the last thing he expected.

His arms dropped to his sides as the man gave a harsh laugh, walking to stand on the edge of the roof and look out over the city. Yami hesitated before following the man to the edge, turning his head to look at the man. He met Yami's gaze before shaking his head. "What is the world coming to that it allows young people to die?"

Yami shrugged, not missing the look of disgust on the man's face as the turned to look back at the lights of Domino. The man gave a roll of his shoulders. "It's a cruel world that would allow young people to die."

Yami turned his head, spotting Yugi's skylight out of the corner of his eye. He tipped his head to the side, a smile crossing his face as he spotted Yugi bustling around his room. The teenager must have spotted him because he stopped; leaning forward to a point where he could be sure that Yami would see him and waved. "It's not always that bad."

"I'm Dartz." Yami blinked, startled back into the conversation. He saw that the man was holding out his hand for him to shake. Yami hesitated for a moment more before smiling and taking the offered appendage.

"Call me Yami."

Dartz gave a short laugh. "What's your real name?"

Yami tipped his head to the side before finally giving into the request. "Atemu."

"Well then, Atemu, any tricks that I should know about?"

Yami laughed, shaking his head before turning to look out over the city. "Not that I know of; I'm a…special case." He swallowed nervously before decided that it would not hurt Dartz to know more. "I'm not the typical guardian angel, for one I'm visible to the living and these wings aren't around all the time."

Dartz stared at him for a moment before giving a shaky smile. "So…your family…"

Yami shook his head. "I've got no family, not really, just friends. It might be considered an exchange for this. I lost my immediate family and had to gain a new one."

The man gave a curt nod of his head, closing his eyes for a long moment before looking back up at Yami. "I think we can get along."

"I think so." A smile crossed Yami's face, Dartz stepping away and opening his wings. The man gave him a final wave before pushing off, flapping his wings to gain height. Yami stuffed his hands in his pockets, tipping his head up as Dartz hovered above him, the man hovering for a moment.

"You think you could watch over both of our charges on the occasions that I want to visit my family."

Yami waved his hand with a smile, his answer in the motion. Dartz gave a nod of his head before taking off, rising into the night. Yami waited until Dartz was out of sight before reaching for his halo and ripping it off his head, gagging at the heavenly scent that had surrounded him the entire time. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the smell, only to have it cling to him.

"Yami?" He turned at the sound of Yugi's voice, smiling as the smaller teenager crawled out onto the roof. He turned to accept the hug, looking down as Yugi shivered and pulled away, taking a deep breath.

"You smell different."

Yami gave a harsh laugh. "I stink of heaven."

Yugi shrugged before pulling Yami down for a kiss. "It doesn't matter to me. You're here."

He hummed in agreement, wrapping his arms around Yugi and pulling him closer. He felt Yugi's nails scrape lightly over the back of his neck before the smaller teenager pulled away. "I should probably finish up my homework."

"Probably." Yami mourned the loss of heat, sighing before following his aibou inside, slipping his halo back around his wrist. He looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Dartz as he disappeared. Yami shook his head before closing the door to the roof behind him, Yugi already having gone on ahead of him. He walked down into the main hall on the second floor, pausing to lean against the door to Yugi's room with a smile on his face.

Yugi was bustling around again, sorting out the things he would need for the next day, head bobbing in time to music that was playing from his mp3 player. Yami watched his aibou for a while before pushing away from the frame, heading into the room to gather is pajamas, Yugi still oblivious to his movements. Yami smirked, blowing a kiss at the smaller teen before slipping out of the room to take his shower.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Three**

Tomoya sat down in his third period class, sighing as he set his books down on his desk. He leaned on his hand, staring at the covers of his books before sitting up and rolling his shoulders. This was the one class of his day that he didn't have anybody that he knew, yet. It didn't help that mathematics wasn't his favorite subject, especially not this early in the morning.

He looked up as the teacher walked in, freezing as he recognized the teenager that walked in behind the teacher. His hands tightened on the edge of his desk, his eyes narrowing as the whispers ran around the room at the appearance of the teenager, Tomoya hearing Yugi's name tossed about a few times.

But he knew better. He knew better than all of these people who this was. He _recognized_ this teenager. And he hated him.

"Class, this is our newest student, Atemu Seti." The teacher paused to sneer at the teen, moving over to his desk. "He's from…the slums."

Tomoya smirked at the reaction from the class, enjoying the looks of pure hatred that were shot at Atemu. The bastard deserved every one of them. Especially after everything that he had done to Yugi. The teenager had murdered Yugi's mother and stolen Yugi away from his home. What Atemu was doing here Tomoya didn't know, but he didn't care. All he knew was that Yugi was here as well, which means that he had escaped from Atemu.

His eyes widened as the teenager sat down in the seat diagonally to his right, staring at the back of Atemu's head. If Atemu thought that he would be getting to Yugi than the teenager had another thing coming. Tomoya would be able to find Yugi's friends and they would get the teenager out of the high school before Atemu could find him. Atemu would _not_ be harming his friend any time soon.

"How about you, Atemu?" Tomoya jumped as the teacher spoke, having forgotten that he was in class. He turned his head to look up at the board, seeing that the teacher had written up a problem. He glanced back at Atemu, smirking at the scowl that was on the teenager's face. The teacher must have noticed it too, because he leaned back against his desk. "What's the matter? This a bit over your head?"

To Tomoya's surprise, Atemu answered with a smirk of his own before striding up to the front of the classroom and taking one of the pieces of chalk from the base of the board before going to work. Atemu was done in a matter of seconds, stepping back to stare at his answer before dropping the chalk back into its place. "Not at all, sir."

Atemu sauntered back over to his desk, sitting down and leaning against his elbow as the rest of the class stared up at the board. From what Tomoya could tell, the answer was right, which surprised him. The rest of the class was staring at Atemu was well, unable to comprehend why a teenager from the slums was able to keep up with the rest of them. Atemu leaned back in his seat, waving one hand. "Please, don't let me distract you."

The teacher gave a stiff nod and plunged into the lesson, calling Atemu up to the board at every chance that he got. Still, the teenager foiled all attempts at making him look like an idiot, the smirk that had appeared at the start of class still on his face. The teacher seemed to be on the point of giving up when the bell rung, releasing them from class.

Tomoya scrambled to pack up his things, shoving them haphazardly into his bag. He cursed under his breath as Atemu stood up before him, grabbing up the last of his books and rushing out of his desk. Tomoya looked out into the hallway, his stomach dropping as he realized that Yugi was waiting across the hall from him. He saw the teenager break into a smile and wave at him, tensing as he heard Atemu make a sound like a chuckle and tuck his books under his arm.

Tomoya lunged for the clear space in the front of the room, biting back a scream as Atemu beat him to the space, walking quickly to the door. Tomoya broke into a run, sprinting out into the hallway, only to realize that he was too late.

Atemu had crossed the hall to where Yugi was, one arm braced against the wall beside Yugi's head as he leaned closer to the teen. Tomoya swallowed nervously, gathering his courage before shouldering his way through the crowd while still trying to see his oldest friend. He shoved another person out of his way, gasping when an elbow found its way into his ribs. Rubbing his side, he pushed out onto the edge of the crowd.

Yugi was still leaning against the wall, looking up as Atemu rocked away from him, his hand coming off the wall. Atemu looked down the hallway before leaning forward, the motion pressing Yugi closer against the wall. Tomoya made to lunge forward just as Atemu leaned over to kiss Yugi, his one free hand pulling the slight teen closer to him.

Tomoya's mouth dropped open in shock, eye going wide as Yugi wrapped his arms around Atemu's neck. He stumbled to a stop, staring at the two and shaking his head. How was this even possible? This was the teenager who had murdered his mother and stolen him away from everything that Yugi had known. Why would Yugi do this…unless…

Stockholm syndrome.

It was the only thing that would explain this. There was no other explanation for this behavior. He _knew_ Yugi, and Yugi would never do this.

Tomoya pushed his bag into a more comfortable position before storming over just as the two were pulling apart for air. Atemu didn't let go of Yugi, still keeping the teenager close even as they both looked over at Tomoya. Yugi gave him a shaky smile, Tomoya's gaze moving from his friend to the teenager that still held him, glaring at Atemu.

Atemu was smart, Tomoya would admit that. The teenager blinked once at him before letting go of Yugi, but he didn't step away. Tomoya shook his head and looked over a Yugi, his glare disappearing from his face. "Are you alright, Yugi?"

"Fine." Tomoya tensed as Yugi reached out to hold Atemu's hand, carefully watching the other teenager. "So, ready to head out to the next class?"

"Sure." Tomoya smiled and began walking away, stopping when he saw at Yugi was still holding Atemu's hand. Tomoya shifted, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. Yugi slowed down too, looking confused.

"What?"

"He's coming?"

Yugi shifted uncomfortably for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. We…we have to stay close."

Tomoya shook his head at the statement and the glance that Yugi gave Atemu. Yugi was still obviously intimidated by his former captor. But Yugi had said that he had gotten away from his kidnapper.

Apparently, he had lied.

And that hurt, more than it should have. He trusted Yugi not to lie to him, they were best friends. Or, they had been. Tomoya stared at his friend, his blue eyes wide. It didn't matter how close they had been in the past. It _did_ matter that Yugi was lying to all of them. He was living safely with his grandfather, Tomoya had seen the man around when they had been looking at their new house and when he and Yugi had walked home. Yugi had probably lied to his grandfather about being safe from his captor.

Tomoya let it go as they headed for their next class, making an effort not to talk to either Yugi or Atemu. Thankfully, Atemu's class was reached for theirs was, making it necessary for Tomoya to wait for the two to finish a quick hug before Yugi was free to walk off with him again.

The two slipped into their classroom, Tomoya thankful that the period after this was lunch, hoping that Atemu wouldn't be there at the same time. He needed time to talk to Yugi without the influence of his former captor. Maybe he could convince Yugi to break off all relations easily. After all, the teenager had completely destroyed his life; it should be easy to convince Yugi to take the final step.

* * *

Yugi sat in lunch, slumped at the table as he waited for Tomoya to show up. Unluckily for him, he had lunch with only one of his friends, the others spread out. He sighed and let his head fall forward until his forehead rested against the table. He had really hoped that Yami would have lunch with him. He frowned at that thought, lifting his head slightly to look around for Tomoya, the other teenager having to purchase his food.

What had happened in the hallway earlier? Yugi shook his head and pushed one hand up through his bangs while the other rested on the table. Tomoya's reaction to Yami had been strange, leaving Yugi not knowing how to react. He had hoped that his friend wouldn't have slipped into the mindset of Domino already, that all the people from the slums across the river were trash. After all, Tomoya had lived in similar slums for half a year until his father had gotten a new job.

Yugi sighed, the sound abruptly cut off as Tomoya slid into the seat in front of him, looking equally as troubled. The tri-color haired teen decided that now was as good a time as any to sort this business out. He didn't want Tomoya shooting him looks whenever he was with Yami.

"Hey, Tomoya-"

"Yugi-"

They both spoke at the same time, the realization causing a short awkward silence as they looked anywhere but each other. It was Yugi who gestured for Tomoya to go first, a nervous smile appearing on his face. The blonde haired boy seemed to be relieved a bit, adjusting his glasses before leaning on the table. "Yugi, what's going on between you and Atemu?"

Yugi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "We're together." He saw the flash of anger in Tomoya's blue eyes, resisting his instinct to back off. Tomoya had to understand this. "It's been that way for a while now."

"But he…he…" Tomoya shook his head, mouth working silently for a second before he glared down at his food. "After all he did to you, you have the gall to actually go out with him?"

"What has he done to me?" Yugi swallowed nervously, the full story of what Yami went through running through his mind. The only thing that he could think of was the fight that he had overheard between Ryou and Yami. But that had been over two years ago. All had been forgiven and Tomoya hadn't even been there.

He watched the gambit of expressions that ran across Tomoya's face, leaning back just before the blonde teenager lunged forward, having the foresight to push his food away before he did so. "How could you have forgotten what he did to you? What he did to your mother?"

"What?!" Yugi leaned forward himself, forcing Tomoya to lean back. "Yami was framed! I _know_ who kidnapped me and murdered my mother. He's long since gone."

"Is that was Atemu told you to get on your good side?"

"No!" Yugi sat back, shaking his head. "Yami wouldn't lie to me about that."

"How can you be so sure? He's probably lied to you about other things."

Yugi opened his mouth to retort, eye widening as he realized that Tomoya was telling the truth. Yami hadn't told Yugi the original reason for his rescue until well into their friendship, or the fact that he had died saving Yugi from the sinking _Baroness_. But neither of those lies hurt anymore, he had managed to put them behind him. After all, Yami was here with him _now_ and, after all they had been through, he was not going to destroy what they had with his doubts.

He leaned back against his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "He has, but never about that. He cares for me."

"He kidnapped you."

"Yami was framed."

"There was evidence. He was in jail, Yugi. They were ready to sentence him to death for his crimes."

Yugi stiffened at that, his eye narrowing. Tomoya must have realized that he had crossed some line because he sat back, Yugi straightening up as he glared at his oldest friend. "Without Yami, I would not be here. If he had been killed, I would still be trapped in some wrecked steamboat on the other side of the river, possibly looking for ways to end my own life by now."

"But…the evidence-"

"Was faked." Yugi tapped one finger against the table with those two words. "I can even get you the number of the person in charge of Yami's…" Yugi struggled to find the correct word before giving up, "parole if you can't believe either of us."

"Are…are you sure about him Yugi?" Tomoya fiddled with his napkin, refusing to look at him. Yugi shook his head in exasperation, glaring at the table. He didn't want to sit here and go through this interrogation, but he would stay, merely because he wanted to make sure that Tomoya had gotten the facts straight. "I mean he did-"

"Tell me one thing that Yami has done for sure?"

Tomoya stared at him with an open mouth before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I just can't trust him, Yugi. I spent this whole time thinking that he held you against your will and then, on top of that, he's from the other side of the river."

Yugi groaned and let his face fall into his hands, shaking his head. "I thought you would be able to see past that."

"I have to _survive _Yugi." Yugi looked up at the statement, confused by it. Tomoya looked sheepish for a moment before gesturing at the rest of the cafeteria. "To avoid their notice, conform. It's simple."

"Too late for that, Tomoya. They all know about where I spent my time before coming here. I cannot begin to count the number of times I was attacked for surviving through living on the other side of the river. I can't conform anymore, life isn't that simple." Yugi had suddenly lost his appetite, not wanting to stay around and listen to any more of Tomoya's ideas.

Yugi gave his friend a curt nod before gathering up his lunch and walking out, intending to find a quiet spot on the school grounds away from everyone else. He was used to being alone, even with Yami and his friends in nearly constant attendance. There were times he even sought out a place to be alone, just for the silence to hear his own thoughts.

He knew that he shouldn't have walked out on Tomoya like that, but he wanted to get out of there before his friend had said something that had pushed him over the edge. Tomoya was right about that being one way to survive with the bullies that plagued all high schools, but Yugi just couldn't bring himself to do that anymore. The self that he had created now was formed from all the challenges he had been through, too much to suddenly break apart just to meet someone else's standards. Besides, Yami loved him for who he was now, and that was enough for Yugi.

The teenager slumped against a wall, sliding down it to sit on the ground, resting one arm against his knee. He would figure out how to apologize to Tomoya later, once he had calmed down. And once he figured out what he would say.

* * *

Yami sighed in relief as he walked back into the gym locker rooms, ready to peel off the sweaty uniform that he wore. Thankfully, he had gym the last period of the day, meaning that he could just go home and shower instead of having to shower in front of the rest of the guys in his class.

He limped over to his locker, staring at his aching leg. Of course he had been treated more roughly than the other guys, a soccer ball to the head three times going beyond the usual hazing. And the teachers had done nothing to stop it, not that he had expected them to. After all, he was just a kid from the wrong side of town, why would they stretch out their necks to help someone they thought was beyond saving.

Yami carefully made his way to his locker, spinning the dial for his combination as the rest of the class came in, leaning down to look at his leg. There was already a bruise forming. That would be painful for the next couple of days. He reached one hand down to rub at the area before straightening up, pulling his pants out of his small locker and putting them on. Around him, the rest of the guys talked loudly.

He rolled his eyes, pulling his shirt, jacket, boots and books from his locker before throwing his gym shorts in. Yami leaned down to tug off the old sneakers that Yugi had forced upon him before peeling off his shirt and tossing it in after the rest of his gym clothes. He was reaching down to grab his shirt when he realized that the teenagers closest to him had gone silent.

The reason for it hit him moments later, Yami groaning and shaking his head at the stares of amazement. The guy beside him was opening staring at the four circular scars that ran down his side, the marks pale against his skin. The teenager rolled his eyes, going to pull his shirt over his head when the guy to the other side of him walked around, jaw dropping as he saw the other set on the other side. "Dude, it's on both sides!"

Yami yanked his shirt down over his head with a muffled growl, blocking the scars from their sights. He slammed his locker shut, the noise snapping the teenagers out of their dazes. He leveled a glare at all of them before beginning to cut off their question. "Yes, they're on both sides. Yes, they match up perfectly on either side. No, I will not tell you where I got them from."

He slipped on his boots and was out the door with the bell, sighing as he shifted his books in his arm. That could have gone better. Yami forced himself to come to a stop by his locker, quickly inputting the combination to retrieve the rest of his things before slamming the door shut again.

"Yami?" He turned abruptly at the sound of Yugi's voice, a smile breaking across his face as he turned to face the smaller teen. Yugi rushed up to him, jumping up at the last minute as he wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, the momentum from the move pushing them both against the lockers. Yami laughed, wrapping his arms around Yugi in a hug. "Missed you."

"Really?" Yami pulled back slightly, a smile on his face at Yugi's confession. "Aibou, it was barely a day apart."

"Still." He shivered as Yugi kissed his neck before sliding down his body. Yami stayed leaning against the lockers, staring at Yugi as the smaller teen gathered up the books that they had dropped. "I got used to having you around all the time."

Yami took a deep breath before accepting his books from Yugi, offering his free hand to the teen as they began to walk out of school. He caught Yugi looking at his limp, his leg still sore from the many times the soccer ball had been kicked into it. The taller teen shook his head and gave Yugi's hand a squeeze. "Don't worry about it. Gym was just a bit…rough."

"Oh. The whole…"

"Yeah." Yami watched Yugi bite his lip, worrying over Yami. He chuckled and squeezed Yugi's hand, drawing him out of his funk. Yugi's purple eyes remained troubled for a moment before they cleared, the teenager swinging their hands as they stepped out into the sunshine.

"Hey Yug'!" They both turned at the sound of Joey's voice, Yami having a single moment to remember that he had avoided them since he had come back before he watched Joey's hand drop. The other two jumped backward as they looked at the two, Yami taking a step back at the stares. He looked over his shoulder, spotting Yugi's friend walking up from behind them.

He took a better stance so he could see the two different groups, feeling Yugi stiffen beside him. They were now paying for their need for keep to themselves for the week before. Now they would have to explain everything to their friends as well as figure out what the deal was with Yugi's blonde friend from his old city.

Yami jumped as Yugi jerked his arm forward, beginning to walk towards the game shop. He followed without an argument, watching as Joey, Tristan and Tèa jogged after them. Yami glanced over at Yugi's other friend, watching as he too rushed after them.

"Yug', wait up!" Yami felt Joey's hand on his shoulder before the blonde caught up with them, rushing around to stand in front of them, stopping their escape. "What's going on?"

"I'll…" Yugi turned around then, realizing that they were surrounded. Yami tensed at the realization too, his free hand curling into a fist. He didn't like to be trapped, years on the other side of the river pounding that fact into his head. Only the feel of Yugi's hand in his kept him from jumping forward, standing close to his charge as Yugi tried to handle the situation. "I'll explain, I promise. Just…Can we go back to the game shop?"

Joey, Tèa and Tristan nodded, Yami watching Tomoya as the teen gave a slow nod. He narrowed his eyes at the motion, knowing that Tomoya wouldn't be so easily convinced. The teen had something against him, something that he was not willing to share with any of them. He blinked at a sharp tug to his hand, Yugi pulling his attention away to Tomoya.

The six of them began to walk back to the game shop, Yugi sticking close to Yami even as he tried to carry on a conversation with the rest of the group. The only hint that Yugi was nervous was the stronger hold that he took on Yami's hand. Slowly, the strained conversation trailed off as they reached their destination, Yugi walking into the shop in silence with the rest trailing after him into the living room.

Yugi settled Yami on the couch before sitting on his lap as the other arranged themselves around him. Yami remained quiet as Yugi cuddled back against him. He rested his chin on Yugi's shoulder, waiting for the smaller teen to talk, knowing that it was Yugi's story to tell. He would allow Yugi to tell the story, but he would lend his support.

The teenager sighed, shaking his head before reaching for Yami's hand and holding it. All eyes were drawn to the move, Tomoya taking a deep breath and looking at the two of them disapprovingly.

It was Tèa that made the first move towards them, carefully tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Yugi, we're just confused about this. You told us he was dead." There was a short intake of breath from Tomoya at the statement, Yami glancing over at the teenager as Tèa continued. "You were miserable for weeks and we understood that you were mourning. How is this possible?"

Yami reached up without really thinking about the motion, searching for the watch that wasn't there. It had been the thing he had turned to for comfort when things got difficult. He knew Yugi had felt the motion because the teenager leaned slightly back, his hand releasing Yami's to brush over the golden band that was on Yami's wrist. A silent reminder that he didn't have the watch anymore.

"I…I was wrong." Yugi swallowed, his purple eyes flickering up to look at the ceiling for a moment before he looked back down at the group of people. Yami carefully kept his face from showing no emotion. Yugi was lying to his friends for him, because they would think that the whole story was crazy. Yami sighed and pulled the teenager a bit closer to him in silent thanks for doing this. "I panicked and he was still alive, but barely. His friends brought him here because he wouldn't stop asking about me."

Yugi let the story end at that, the both of them knowing that it was not a convincing lie. But, seeing as three of Yugi's friends had witnessed the world that Yami lived in, it probably made them less inclined to argue with them. If Yugi didn't want to talk about a subject, they figured that the content was probably enough to give them nightmares. It was the kind of trust and loyalty that Yami respected.

"I don't believe you." Yami lifted his head up as Tomoya spoke, his eyes narrowing as he spotted something. He must have been too absorbed with school to notice it before and felt stupid for his slip up. Dartz was standing near Tomoya, invisible to the rest of the people here but perfectly visible to him. The guardian angel was staring at him in awe, looking between him and Yugi before giving a shrug and jerking his head up towards the roof.

Yami gave a small nod, watching out of the corner of his eye as the angel spread his wings and took off for the roof, intending to join him there as soon as he felt safe leaving Yugi. Which wouldn't be any time soon if Tomoya continued on his current tirade.

"I cannot just assume that he's not after you."

"The evidence was false, Tomoya."

"What evidence?" This was from Tristan, the others looking slightly afraid from the content of the conversation.

Tomoya shook his head. "You didn't tell them that he was suspected of kidnapping you and killing your mother?"

"No," Yugi leaned forward, "because it's not true. Yami saved me."

"Then…then…" Tomoya looked around, obviously feeling a bit trapped if his expression was anything to go by. "Then who am I supposed to hate? I've hated him for so long because of what he did. What do I do now?"

Yugi slid off Yami's lap, kneeling on the floor. "Just let it go."

Yami smiled at Yugi before standing up himself, pulling Yugi back into a hug before leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "Angel business. I'll be back."

Yugi gave a minute nod before he sat down on the ground with his friends, their voices dropping as they went into deep conversation. Yami smiled at Yugi before trudging up the stairs, heading for the roof and the angel that waited for him.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners

**

* * *

Chapter Four**

Dartz looked up as Atemu came up onto the roof, once again lacking the halo and wings he had come to expect from other angels. The man smiled and pushed away from the ground, standing up as Atemu walked over. To his surprise, the teenager waved him back down before sitting on the ground himself, running a hand over his leg and wincing at something. At Dartz's confused look, Atemu just shook his head. "Rough day at school."

"Really?"

There was a quick nod from the teenager. "But it would be a lie if I said that I didn't expect it." He gave the leg another rub before pulling the other leg up to rest his chin on his knee. "But I did. It happens."

"Why?" Dartz looked away as Atemu raised an eyebrow. There was an awkward silence between the two of them, Atemu taking the chance to lean back and stare at the sky.

"They don't like people like me."

"Like you?" He looked over the teenager, finding nothing apparent that would separate him from the other teenagers. Atemu shook his head, refusing the answer the question.

"Why did you call me up here?"

"You seemed to leave out a few things when we talked before." Dartz gave him a pointed glance, Atemu starting at the expression. The teenager shifted nervously before sitting up straight.

"Like what?"

"Your relationship with your charge. I assume that Yugi is your charge."

"Yes." Atemu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

"And you're dead."

"Not technically." Atemu winced before looking away, one of his hands rising to grab at something that obviously wasn't there anymore. He stared at his open hand before shaking his head. "Not anymore."

"How can you-"

"Look." Atemu stood up and began to walk back to the entrance to the house, pausing with his hand on the door. "It's a long story, one that I don't like remembering."

"But-"

"It's not fair to anyone, and I know that." Atemu ran a hand through his hair before opening the door. His red eyes narrowed as he looked back at Dartz. "But I don't care."

The door slammed behind him, leaving Dartz standing amazed on the roof. He hadn't expected that when he had been told that there would be another angel in Domino. He hadn't expected that when he had met Atemu. He hadn't expected the young man to be already so hardened against the world.

Dartz sighed and stood up walking to the edge of the roof before jumping down, flapping his wings to slow his fall at the last minute. He hesitated before pushing through the wall of the house, and entering the living room again. Everyone was still there, engaged in another conversation. He smiled and went to lean against the fireplace.

This was what he had wanted with his life. He had wanted to be able to watch his child grow up and interact with their friends. Now, he would miss that. But, there was always being a guardian angel to make up for it.

Now there was Tomoya.

Dartz jumped as Atemu appeared again, the teenager's eyes narrowing for a moment before Yugi called him over. The teenager shot Dartz another long look before sitting down beside Yugi and being pulled into a hug.

That was another thing he would have to find out, the first one being why Atemu would be treated differently from others in the first place. He had to know why this teenager got the chance to be a guardian angel and still alive while the others were forced only to watch.

He shook his head before returning his gaze to his charge. That would be one of the things he would do on the day he begged off to visit his family. Rebecca's birthday was coming up and he wouldn't miss that for the world. He just hoped that Atemu would still be willing to help him out.

Dartz found himself the subject of another stare, looking up at Atemu finally looked away, the teenager sighing and holding Yugi close. Yugi reacted seemingly without any thought, moving into Atemu's lap and leaning against the teenager. Dartz smiled at the move. He remembered when he and Iona had been like that, curling close to each other on the evenings they had been alone or when Rebecca had been put to bed. He smiled at the memory and found himself relaxing, enjoying himself for the first time since his death.

* * *

Tèa pulled Yugi away from the others, who were attempting to play a racing game. The teenager put up a bit of a struggle before allowing the brunette to drag him away. The two of them went into the kitchen, Yugi taking the moment to grab a soda and lean against the counter, a smile still on his face.

It was better than it had been. For a week after he had come running out of that warehouse in tears there hadn't been a glimpse of a smile or any expression other than sorrow. But Tèa had preferred that over the seeming emotionless Yugi they got at times. It was like her friend had turned into a ghost, merely part of the background.

"Yugi," he turned to look at her, "seriously, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Tèa. Better than ever." He gave her a smile, shifting so he could see Yami, or so she assumed. The move made her smile; they made the cutest couple. Tèa leaned back, turning her head so she could see what part of the counter she was leaning on.

"That's good. You had us really worried there for a while, Yugi." Tèa bit her lip and turned her head away. "Tristan even suggested that we keep a close eye on you in case you tried to…commit suicide."

The last two words were spoken softly, Yugi not reacting to them for a couple of seconds which made Tèa think that he hadn't heard her. But Yugi slowly turned his head to look at her, shock evident on his face. "You…you guys thought that…"

"You were pretty broken after that, Yugi." Tèa shrugged. "We were really worried."

"Tèa, he died…I thought he had died for me." Yugi shrugged, taking a sip of his soda. "Why would I waste that?"

"But you were miserable."

"Tèa," Yugi sighed and set down his soda on the counter, turning to face her, "I lived for two years in Noa's hold and I didn't search for a way to kill myself. I was too focused on escaping alive. I'm not ready to die yet, Tèa."

She shook her head, his logic escaping her at the moment. She knew that she wouldn't have been that logical if someone that close to her had died. She would have rushed to the only thing that would have brought them together. Tèa sighed and shook her head. "You could have been together."

Yugi froze with his hand hovering over his soda can, a tremble running over his body. It was only then that Tèa realized what temptation that he had withstood just to be here today. It would have been all too easy to break apart his former argument with those five words. And those five words would have been enough to take away one of her friends.

Yugi's voice was strained as he spoke. "Do you really think that they would allow us to be together if I had done that? Think about it. Yami would have been ready to give his life for me and I killed myself."

He gave her a shaky smile as he pushed away from the counter, leaving her to stand in the kitchen and think over what he had said.

If she thought about it that way, then there was really no hope in death, which she was eternally grateful for. She wasn't ready to lose one of her best friends. He was a welcome break from the other two, Joey and Tristan always finding something to argue about which led to miniature fights. Yugi was a breath of fresh air since he strayed away from violence. And he was someone that she could talk to without being afraid that he would turn away.

Tèa shook her head and pushed away from the counter, wandering over to the living room and just watching them. Joey and Tomoya were attempting to beat Tristan while Yugi and Yami were cuddled on the floor together.

She smiled to herself, staying in the background for a moment more, shaking her head as Joey and Tristan started shoving each other, the usual prelude to a fight. Her boys. Although, she doubted that she could claim Yugi as hers any longer, as much as it pained her heart to admit it.

There was still some part of her that was in love with the small tri-color haired teenager, her crush on him no so easily forgotten. But she was willing to risk her own heart to be sure that Yugi was happy. And he was; so obviously happy.

Tèa smiled as Yugi fell to his side, laughing and trying to shove Yami off of him as the taller teen proceeded to tickle Yugi into submission. He looked around, spotting her and reached for her. "Tèa, help please." He tried to speak around his bursts of laughter, wiggling on the floor. "It's torture."

She just laughed and went to break up the fight that was starting between Tristan and Joey as they tried to beat the other, neither of them noticing that Tomoya had won the game. Behind her, she could hear Yugi still laughing, sometimes the rich baritone of Yami's voice joining in with him.

* * *

Tomoya walked into his house as the sun was sinking, setting his backpack by the stairs so he could take it up to his room later. The smile that had worked its way onto his face was still not gone. That had been the most fun he had had for a long while.

He peeked into the kitchen, the smell of dinner hitting him as he stepped in. Apparently, he had been right on time. His mother gave him a smile before setting the last dish on the table, motioning for him to come over. Tomoya nearly bounded over to his seat, looking up as his father came into the room.

"Is that a smile? Haven't seen one of those on your face in a long while." Tomoya laughed at his father's astonishment, ignoring the odd look that he got from both of them. It seemed like a long time since he had made that sound and it felt good to laugh again.

He focused on eating, finding that he was starving, the action having the bonus of not having to deal with any questions that his parents would ask him. For the first time in a long time, he listened to what his parents were talking about instead of drowning in his own misery, even talking about his day at school when they asked him instead of shoving it off. It was wonderful not to have that horrible feeling sitting on his shoulders anymore.

He placed his dishes in the sink before rushing for the stairs, grabbing his backpack as he ran. Of course, the downside to all that fun was the amount of homework that he had to finish tonight. Tomoya chuckled to himself as he bounded up the stairs. It was a fair trade off for such fun.

One sock clad foot missed its placement on the stair, sliding off the edge and pitching Tomoya forward. The blonde teenager was on the brink of falling over when he felt something catch him, holding him steady until he had regained his balance.

Tomoya spun around on the step, staring at the empty air behind him with his mouth open. There wasn't anyone there. And he would have heard someone moving anyway. So why hadn't he fallen? And why had he felt supported while he was trying to gain his balance? Tomoya shook his head and narrowed his eyes to peer at the air, looking for an answer to his questions.

"Tomoya? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mom." His answer was a bit distracted as he tipped his head to the side, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him, or if he had really seen that shimmer in the air. "Just tripped."

"Be carefully then."

"I will." Tomoya gave up on his search and trudged up the stairs, automatically heading for the room that was his. His backpack was dropped on the floor near his desk before Tomoya flopped onto his bed, homework temporarily forgotten as he pondered the mysterious force that had helped him on the staircase.

He had been disinclined to believe in things like heroes or anything mystical when Yugi had been kidnapped, nothing amazing ever happening to bring back his friend so his belief in those things had disappeared. But there was no logical explanation for what had happened and no scientific one that he could think of, which only left one thing.

Nervously, Tomoya sat up, rubbing his arms as he looked around the room. Wasn't it normal for a room to be colder when there was something not of this world going on? His room felt exactly the same, no difference. But maybe there would be a spot where whatever it was stood. Tomoya was about to slide off his bed when he suddenly shivered, pulling back. It probably wouldn't be pleasant for either of them if he passed through whatever it was.

With that settled, Tomoya crossed his legs and stared out into the empty space of his room, searching for something out of the ordinary. Finally, he cleared his throat and sat up. "Hello?"

The greeting was met with silence, the absence of any response making Tomoya even more nervous. "Look, I just want to thank you for helping me out on the stairs. Not that it was a big deal or anything, but I do appreciate it." He tapped his covers for a moment before speaking again. "I also want to apologize for any time I walked through you without noticing it. I am sure that that would be uncomfortable."

He thought he heard a faint chuckle from somewhere in front of his bed. Tomoya jumped at the sound, his head turning to the point where he thought it originated from. He hesitated for a moment before standing up and walking over to his desk, searching among the scattered items he had on the top before pulling out a pen and a pad of paper. Tomoya carefully made his way across his room again, making sure to avoid the spot where he had thought he had heard the laughter before setting the paper and pen down on his nightstand.

"Maybe we can talk to each other like this because you might be able to hear me, but I can't hear you." Tomoya stared at the pen and paper. "I guess this is my way of telling you that you can stay here. I really don't mind. It might be nice to have a place to stay, a home."

He smiled before walking back to his desk and starting on his homework, resigning himself to a late night. At least the weekend was close. Hopefully he could catch up on his rest then. Tomoya absently reached for a pencil before applying himself to his homework, so focused on the page before him that he didn't see the pen hover over the paper and begin to move across the page before dropping, leaving behind a hastily scrawled message.

_You're welcome, but it's just part of the job. I'm here to protect you Tomoya._

* * *

Yugi slowly woke up, suddenly aware of the comfortable weight that rested across his stomach. He shifted slightly, smiling when he saw that Yami was still asleep. Yugi rolled onto his other side, the arm that Yami had draped over him pulling Yugi closer so they were chest to chest. The smaller teenager gave a happy sigh before snuggling into Yami, running a hand down his side.

He loved these quiet moments where they could just exist. No explaining to friends why everything happened the way it did. No coping with a world that hated one of them and looked down on the other. No wondering if tomorrow would come and one of them would be alone again. It was just simple.

Yugi looked up as Yami flinched, his hand stilling where it rested on the taller teenager's thigh. He hesitated for a moment before running his hand over the spot again, freezing when a look of discomfort ran over Yami's face. Yugi bit his lip, his hand moving to keep Yami from flipping over.

Yami had been limping earlier when they had walked out of school, but Yugi had become too occupied by other things. He felt horrible for just ignoring Yami like that, knowing that his guardian angel had been injured. Yugi kissed Yami, smiling at the soft sound it drew from the teenager before he concentrated on the leg again.

Carefully, he pulled the covers down, stroking Yami's back when the teenager squirmed at the sudden chill. Yugi kept one eye on Yami as he maneuvered the sweatpants the teenager wore down his leg, hooking the elastic band of Yami's boxers as well. Yugi swallowed harshly as he realized what he was doing, other implications rushing to his mind and making him bite back a moan.

He was just checking Yami's leg, he reminded himself, another wince from Yami focusing him again. Yugi glanced up at the taller teen before glancing down at the skin he had revealed, quickly silencing the hiss that escaped him.

There was a large bruise on Yami's thigh, starting almost halfway down and disappearing beyond where Yugi had dared to bare the skin. Yugi winced in sympathy before letting the cloth go, pulling Yami into a tight hug.

His poor angel. Yami was only going to school to stay close to him, to be able to properly carry out his job. He didn't deserve the hatred that everyone would treat him with just because he was from the other side of the river. Yugi tucked his head into the juncture between Yami's neck and shoulder, gently kissing the skin there.

He felt Yami stir at the attention, gently shushing the older teen before slipping out of the covers. Yugi heard Yami shift, the taller teen trying to follow his movements while still half asleep. "Aibou?"

"Don't worry, I'm still here." Yugi carefully lay down on the other side of Yami, drawing up the covers and curling himself around the taller teenager, wrapping one arm around Yami's waist. He felt the taller teenager tense, Yugi responding by pressing himself closer and nuzzling the back of Yami's neck.

"Aibou, what are you doing?"

"Protecting you."

"That's my job."

"I know." Yugi let his head drop back to the pillow, feeling Yami move so he could see over his shoulder. "I just can't protect you the way I would like to out in the world because, well, I'm not made for it. But I can keep you safe here, if you allow me to."

Yami blinked, staring at him for a long moment before moving to flip over, Yugi stopping the motion. "You're hurt, Yami."

"It's just a bruise."

"It still hurts." Yugi brushed his fingers over the spot, listening to Yami hiss in pain. Yugi apologized with another kiss to the back of the neck. "You said I would always save you. Let me for once."

"Yugi, this is-"

"It isn't different. It's just a very small thing." Yugi gave him an awkward one armed hug. "I love you, you know that? And I don't like to see you in pain."

When Yami didn't answer, Yugi pressed himself closer, feeling Yami lean slightly back automatically, the small shift enough of a response for him. Yugi smiled, hearing Yami sigh as the taller teen got comfortable. Yugi was slipping off to sleep when Yami finally spoke, the words bringing a smile to his face.

"I love you too, Yugi."

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Five**

Yami looked up from his morning make out session with Yugi, hoping that it would become a permanent part of their routine, as Tomoya bounded up a huge smile on his face. Reluctantly, Yami pulled away from Yugi, the smaller teenager slowly opening his eyes and looking disappointed. "Why did you stop?"

"Tomoya wants to talk to you." The bespectacled teenager gave Yami a smile of thanks before accosting Yugi. Yami sighed and rubbed his forehead, figuring that this was better than being glared at by someone that Yugi considered a close friend.

"It's amazing Yugi!" Yami listened with half an ear as they walked down the hall to their first period class, keeping close to Yugi. He gave a minute nod to Dartz as the man came into his line of vision, the two guardian angels following their charges down the hall.

While they had not spoken again since Yami had walked out of their meeting, they were still on good terms. Dartz accepted the unorthodox approach to his job without a question, seeming to have come to some conclusion that he had yet to approach Yami about. But at least they were silently civil towards each other.

"Yami?" He shook his head, dragging his thoughts away from his fellow guardian angel to look at Yugi. The teenager smiled, reaching back to hold his hand for a moment. "We're still going to visit Ryou this weekend, right?"

"Of course. Unless you want him to get mad at us?"

Yugi laughed. "Definitely not. He might send Marik after us."

Yami joined in the laughter, absently stepping to the side to avoid running into Dartz. The air was knocked out of him as he was pushed by a solid person, sliding across the tile floor before something heavy landed on him. Yami groaned, lying still for a moment before attempting to get up, only to have a hand land on his arm.

"Watch where you're going!" Yami looked up at the teenager who was glaring down at him, biting his lip to keep from yelping as the guy hauled him to his feet. Yami pulled away from his grasp, backing away as he rubbed his arm.

"It was an accident." He turned around, intent on catching up with Yugi and Tomoya.

"Hey!" Yami found himself spun back around, sure that there were bruises on his arm from the guy's fingers. He was shoved backward until his back met a locker, Yami arching to keep the lock from digging into his lower back. The guy leaned over, forcing him to lie flat against the locker. "You're that scum from across the river. I recognize your face, you were on T.V for a while."

"Let me go." Yami twitched in the hold, searching for a way out of this without inflicting damage. He had promised that he wouldn't get into trouble, but this was pushing him to his limit.

The guy laughed. "Why should I? You're just a piece of scum that wiggled its way up here. You don't belong here." Every word in the last sentence was underlined with a jab of the teenager's finger into Yami's chest.

Yami shifted, slapping the teenager's hand away from him as he glared. Did this guy honestly expect him to back down after this? He narrowed his eyes and shoved the guy back, fixing his jacket before walking off. He didn't flinch as the teenager's hand landed on his shoulder, staring straight ahead at where Tomoya and Yugi had stopped, the blonde holding Yugi back from entering the confrontation.

"Did you hear me, scum?"

Yami shook off the hand and continued to walk away, only partially listening to the teenager rant behind him. It was one confrontation that he knew had been coming, the people in this city didn't want him here. But he wouldn't be driven away.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Yami didn't bother to glance over his shoulder, smiling at Yugi before reaching out to hold his hand. "I'll walk to you class, aibou."

Yugi gave him a smile of thanks, walking off. Tomoya was a step behind them, the blonde staring back at the teenager as he continued to rant about the scum from the other side of the river. He felt Yugi squeeze his hand reassuringly, a smile crossing his face. They both knew that he could care less about what he was called. He just worried about what it would do to Yugi since he was openly close with the smaller teenager.

He spent the walk to Yugi's first period class worrying over the problem, his eyes flickering to the golden band that he wore around his wrist as Yugi let go of his hand. Unlike Yugi, he was not opposed to using violence first and talking things over later. It would end badly for anyone who tried to touch his charge.

"Yami?"

"Don't worry about it, aibou." Yami leaned over slightly to kiss Yugi, pulling the shorter teenager close. Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, drawing the kiss out a little longer before pulling away. "Nothing is going to happen."

"But a still worry about you." When Yami went to protest, Yugi silenced him with a quick kiss. "It's my job."

Yami laughed before stepping away, watching Yugi slip into the classroom with Tomoya. The smile remained on his face a moment longer before the trudged down the hall to his own class, not looking forward to the round of insults he knew was coming.

* * *

_Are you here?_

Dartz shook his head at the words that were scribbled in the margin of the paper, sighing at Tomoya's obvious attempts to dodge work. The angel gently guided Tomoya's pen back to the margin, writing out his own reply before releasing the boy's hand.

_Yes. Now concentrate on your class._

_Why? It isn't that important._

Dartz rolled his eyes before making Tomoya's hand write his own response.

_You can never tell. Just humor me._

_Fine._

Tomoya rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the teacher up front, Dartz smiling at his charge before returning his gaze to the window. Rebecca's birthday was tomorrow, and he had yet to talk to Atemu about it. He sighed, he would probably have to pay a visit to the teen and ask.

The angel perked up as he sensed Atemu near, walking over to the window to look outside. He smiled as he saw Atemu wandering over the grounds, settling at the base of a tree close by. It was a golden chance. With one final look at Tomoya to be sure that his charge would be alright, Dartz walked through the wall and out into the schoolyard.

Immediately Atemu looked up, Dartz imagining he might have seen something similar to disgust flash across the teenager's face before Atemu sat up. But it was just his imagination. The teenager smiled before craning his head to look back in the classroom, spotting Tomoya before shifting to a more comfortable spot.

"Atemu, about what I said on the roof-"

"Don't worry about it." He dug into his lunch, waving Dartz's concern away. The angel hesitated at the words, not sure that they were completely sincere. But at least one of them was making the gesture to continue on friendly terms.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head, turning slightly so he could still see Tomoya, the blonde totally focused on his work. "Can I ask you to do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you keep an eye on Tomoya Saturday?"

Atemu paused in his eating, raising an eyebrow as he looked up at the angel. "Is there a reason?"

"It's my daughter's birthday." There was a hint of regret on Atemu's face, the teenager looking away for a second. When Atemu looked back, there was no sign of the emotion. Dartz nodded to himself before shifting so he could see Tomoya out of the corner of his eye. "I haven't missed one since we adopted her."

"Adopted?" Atemu laughed and shook his head. "It's a shame that I didn't know you before you died. There are some kids I know of that could use a home. Unless, you wouldn't like scum?"

Dartz shook his head. "I don't think my wife and I would have minded, we just have always wanted children. It can just never be our own and we tried so many different ways." He sighed, a fond smile on his face. "It was Iona's idea to adopt. She said that there were already so many kids who needed a home. So we found Rebecca. Sweetest child in the world."

He heard Atemu give a soft chuckle, turning his head so he could look at the teenager as he spoke. "I could try and convince her. I've figured out how to interact with things here. Rebecca always has wanted a sister."

"Send her to me and I'll take her there." Atemu stood up, gathering the trash from his lunch and beginning to walk back to the building. "Just warn her that these are children who have lived their whole lives in the slums, but they are good kids."

"Thank you, Atemu." The teenager gave a nod, a genuine smile crossing his face as he walked back into the building, Dartz remaining outside for a while longer. He tipped his head back, closing his eyes as he imagined that he could feel the sun against him, but it was just his imagination.

With a disappointed sigh, Dartz turned to walk back to Tomoya, shaking his head. Hopefully Iona would be willing to trust something that she found in his handwriting. His wife, although she had been raised in Domino, had always hated the distinction between the people that was made. And, maybe, she could help another child.

He slipped back into the classroom, walking back to Tomoya's seat. He shook his head as he saw that Tomoya wasn't paying attention again. Dartz leaned over the paper, sighing when he saw another note for him waiting.

_I've been meaning to ask, what are you? If that's not too rude._

Dartz gently guided Tomoya's hand over to the margin of the paper, ignoring the look of relief that spread across the teenager's face at the motion.

_I'm your guardian angel._

Tomoya's response came as soon as Dartz moved his hand away.

_Where did you go? I thought you had left._

_I was talking to another guardian angel._

_Alright._

Tomoya focused on his work then, seemingly happy with the information that he had been given. Dartz relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief before finding a place to stand in the classroom, partially alert for any threats to his charge as the teacher droned on.

* * *

Yugi jumped as someone hugged him from behind, relaxing into Yami's embrace as the taller teenager pulled him away from his locker. "Hello, aibou."

"Hello." Yugi craned his head back, pointing at the still open locker. "I was doing something."

"And now, you are doing something else." Yami smirked, but still let him go, leaning against the next locker as Yugi rummaged around for the remainder of what he needed before the two of them could head home.

Yugi slammed his locker shut, waving at a morose Tristan and Joey, the two teens having managed to get themselves into anther detention before heading towards the exit with Yami. Tèa had dance after school today, so that meant that she wouldn't be walking back with them either. That just left Tomoya, who was fidgeting outside as he waited for them.

The blonde teenager waved as he spotted the two of them, nearly bounding over as Yugi and Yami walked out of the building. "You will never guess what has been happening to me."

"Really? What?" Yugi blinked as he saw Yami look at something just behind Tomoya, the taller teenager doing that a lot lately. Yugi squeezed his boyfriend's hand, hoping that everything was alright. With a look that promised explanations later, the three headed towards their homes.

"I have a guardian angel." Yugi felt Yami lag for a second before he fell back into step, Yugi shooting a long look at Tomoya. While he didn't know the rules that the guardian angels followed, sure that Yami was breaking most of them just out of spite, he was sure that the charges weren't supposed to know. And, if Yami's reaction was anything to go by, he could be right with that guess.

"Really?"

Tomoya nodded, digging around in his backpack to pull out his notebook. Yugi took the offered object, flipping open to the most recently used page and staring at the two styles of handwriting that were in the margin. One was obviously Tomoya's, but the other wasn't even close to his friend's usual handwriting. "Your angel wrote this?"

The blonde teenager nodded before accepting his notebook back. "Yeah. We've been talking for a couple of days now, although I don't know its name. It's great!" Tomoya was quiet for a moment. "Oh, and I was wondering if you were doing anything this weekend, Yugi."

"Sorry." Yugi looked up at Yami, realizing that his boyfriend had stopped glaring at the space around Tomoya to actually look at the teen.

"He could come with us. I don't really think Ryou would mind."

"Bakura might."

"I can handle Bakura." Yugi chuckled at the eye roll that Yami gave with the response, giving a nod before finally looking over at Tomoya.

"Only if you want to."

"Where are you two going?"

"The other side of the river." Tomoya gave him a surprised glance, his mouth falling open in shock. Yugi shook his head with a laugh at the look, forcing himself to calm down. "It's not that bad, just visiting some friends of Yami who helped me hide out. I promise you that it's nothing bad."

"But my parents…" Tomoya bit his lip before giving a nod. "I trust you, Yugi."

"Don't believe the stereotype." Yugi shook his head, squeezing Yami's hand. "After all, Yami didn't turn out too badly, now did he?"

Yugi saw Tomoya blush at the wink that he threw his boyfriend, about to strike up a new conversation when he yelped as Yami slid his hand into Yugi's back pocket. The short teen glared at Yami. "Get it out of there."

"You don't complain any other time."

"When do you…" Yugi glared at the smirk that Yami had on his face. "When I'm asleep?!"

"No more than you do, aibou." Yugi blushed at the statement. Apparently Yami hadn't been asleep those few times.

"You two _sleep_ together?!" Yugi jumped as Tomoya spoke, Yami's hand sliding from of his back pocket with the move. A blush spread across his face at the look that Tomoya was giving him, turning his head so he could hide against Yami. His blush grew as Yami laughed.

"It's become habit. Aibou doesn't sleep well unless he has something to cuddle with."

Yugi elbowed Yami, dropping the taller teen's hand and beginning to walk faster. He could still hear Yami laughing behind him, Tomoya starting to chuckle as well. Yugi turned around, speaking without any real malice. "You're sleeping on the couch then, Yami."

"That threat doesn't work, aibou. At least not yet." Yami sauntered over to him and grabbed Yugi's hand again, swinging their joined hands between them. Yugi could still hear Tomoya laughing from his place behind them.

* * *

Tomoya walked back into his room, stretching before flopping down on his bed, reaching for the comic book he had left on his nightstand. He flipped absently through the pages, finding where he had stopped the night before, ready to immerse himself in the comic when he noticed that there was a new message on his paper that he had left there.

Tomoya rolled himself over, one finger marking his page in the comic book as he ready his guardian angel's message. _You alright going with them tomorrow?_

_Sure. Yugi hasn't lied to me before._ He placed the pen down, watching it rest for a moment before some force picked it up again and began to write.

_I have somewhere I have to be tomorrow._

_You won't be there?_ Tomoya picked up the pen and scratched out his reply even before the angel had set it back down.

_No. I have prior commitments._

_With who?_

_My family._

Tomoya rocked back, still holding the pen that he had picked up with the intention to respond. He stared at the angel's answer for a long while, not quite sure what to make of it. He couldn't see the angel, which meant that others wouldn't be able to see it either. And if the angel had a family, it meant that the angel was the soul of a dead person. Tomoya could bring himself to demand that the angel abandon its plans just because he suddenly felt safer with it around.

Tomoya felt something tug on the pen, the angel obviously wanting to write something. He gently brushed it off before leaning forward, writing his own message before handing the angel the pen. _It's alright with me. You deserve the break._

He might have imagined the chuckle that came from thin air around him before the pen was put back in motion. _But I haven't done anything._

_Oh well. Vacation time in advance._

He laughed this time as well, sure that he heard another laugh that seemed to come from a great distance. The pen hovered in the air for a moment before coming down onto the paper. _I have one last thing to ask you, then you can go back to your comic book._

_Alright._

_What's in that blue binder?_

Tomoya looked at the binder on his desk, realizing for the first time that he still had it out. Inside there were all the clippings from newspapers with his notes and pictures from when Yugi had been kidnapped. Mementos from a time that was long since gone and was better forgotten. He couldn't think about the time in his old city without remembering the abject misery he had insisted on being in. _Things that should be forgotten._

Their conversation stopped after that, the angel seeming to disappear while Tomoya reclined on his bed, opening his comic book and smiling as he started to read. He had missed this in his misery, the ability to get away from reality. A page was turned carefully with a chuckle, Tomoya not noticing the blue binder falling open on the desk as the angel began to carefully read through the first two articles before shutting the binder with a sigh.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Six**

"Seriously Bakura, off." Ryou scrambled out of his lover's hold, running around so he was behind the sofa, separating himself from temptation. "Yugi and Yami are coming over any minute."

"So? Marik can answer the door."

Ryou rubbed his forehead. "That's not the point!"

"Then what is your point?" Ryou really wished he could wipe the smirk off Bakura's face right now, but he only knew one way of doing that; and it would play right into Bakura's hands. And the worse part was that Bakura knew it.

The British teen sighed, turning away and walking up the stairs that led to the main level of the house, putting distance between himself and Bakura. It was that only way he would make it through this part of the afternoon with his clothing still on his body. He could hear Bakura grumbling as he entered the stairwell, forcing himself to ignore the thief.

Bakura got to have him around all the time, but Ryou hadn't seen Yami for the longest time. Not since he had sent the teenager he considered his big brother running towards Yugi's house in the rain. It was the right thing to do, but he still missed Yami. And there had been a couple of days when he had woken up convinced that Yami coming back from the dead had to be just wishful thinking and his big brother was still buried on the shore by where the _Baroness_ had sunk.

He jumped at the sound of the door opening, his brown eyes widening as Yami pushed the door open, one hand working the key out of the lock as he turned back to speak to someone behind him. Ryou couldn't bring himself to care at the moment, too excited to see one of his best friends. "Yami!"

Yami had a second to turn around before Ryou flung himself at the tri-color haired teenager, nearly knocking him to the ground. He heard a chuckle from somewhere behind Yami, identifying it as Yugi before he tightened his hold on Yami. "I missed you."

"Are Bakura and Marik taking care of you?" Yami choked the words out, Ryou letting go and stepping back to allow them all in. Yami nodded his thanks, walking through the door and letting the other two in. At Ryou's confused look, Yami spoke in a whisper. "Tomoya's guardian angel begged the day off."

Ryou gave off a laugh. "What are you? The person in charge of all guardian angels in Domino?"

He ignored the shocked look on the blonde teen that he assumed was Tomoya as Yami gave a cocky smile. "It just so happens that I am. Are the other two home?"

"Unfortunately."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately?"

"Bakura is feeling lonely."

"Ah." Yami held out his hand for Yugi, the motion not causing the same spike of jealously that it had in Ryou anymore. Yami wasn't just going to abandon him for Yugi, he knew that. The British teen waved at Yugi, getting an eager wave back. His gaze focused on Tomoya, who was looking slightly frightened.

"Did you warn him about them?"

"Why would I need to do that?" Yami sighed. "He has been told that everyone over here will either rob him blind or slit his throat, even though I have never been inclined to do those two things. Warning him would just lead to disbelief that any of us are reasonably sane."

"Well, did anyone see you coming?"

"Ryou, they all think I'm dead. They'll just think that they had too much to drink or are seeing things." At the British teen's sideways glance, Yami rolled his eyes. "No one saw us, Ryou. I made sure of that."

They four of them walked down the stairs, Ryou watching as Tomoya stuck to the shadows. He shook his head and stepped out into the living room, wanting to curse Domino and its preconceived notions. He was about to talk to Yami when he heard Bakura's voice drifting from the couch. "Is that the Pharaoh?"

"Hello Tomb Robber."

Bakura sat up, glaring at Yami. "Tell him to go away and come back later."

"I missed you too." Yami snapped the words back sarcastically before walking over to the sofa, throwing Bakura's feet off the piece of furniture. At Bakura's growl, Yami glared at the thief. "I paid for most of this."

He flopped down on the sofa, Yugi quickly vaulting over the back to claim Yami's lap. Ryou watched Tomoya shuffle further into the light, looking at the interior of their house in awe. Ryou was about to extend his own welcome to the teenager, no matter how tentative it would be, when Marik came tearing out of the hallway. "Is that the Pharaoh I hear?"

Yami gave a lazy wave, grunting in pain as Yugi clambered into a comfortable position on his lap. Marik gave a laugh, walking over to lean against the back of the sofa. "Where have you been? There's been no one here to whack Bakura and I over the heads for our stupidity. Ryou's too biased to do it."

"I'm sorry." Yami rolled his eyes. "I've had other things to do."

"Like lure that little look-alike of yours into bed." Marik dodged the blow aimed at him, laughing at the glare that was sent his way. "Come on, you know it's true." The Egyptian seated himself on the back of the couch, pretending to look thoughtful. "You know, I've been wondering if there is some guy wandering around there who looks like me. I almost want to go and find him."

"And why would you inflict that kind of pain on another person?" Bakura laughed as Marik tried to hit him over the head, ending up overbalancing and falling off the back of the sofa. Everyone laughed at him, shifting to find new positions, Ryou walking around the back of the sofa to sit on Bakura's lap, yelping as he was pulled close.

Yugi chuckled at them before looking over at Tomoya. "It's alright. You can come over."

"This is where you stayed all that time?"

"Yep." Yugi snuggled back into Yami. "Yami and I were roommates, stuck with these people…and Ryou."

That answer got a snort from Bakura, the thief craning his neck as Marik got off the ground, rubbing his lower back. The Egyptian teenager dramatically limped his way to the front of the sofa, carefully laying himself out on the ground. "I could have been mortally wounded, Bakura."

"Good. More room." The thief laughed at the look of shock on Marik's face. "Found a way to kick the Pharaoh out so we're just waiting on you. Ow!"

"Be nice." Ryou settled back on Bakura's lap, the thief rubbing the side of his head where Ryou had slapped him. The British teen glanced up at Tomoya, who was still standing awkwardly to one since, noticing that Yugi was also looking thoughtful. Ryou leaned back, settling into the pattern of pushing Bakura's hands away when they wandered too far. "So, what are we up to doing?"

"Palace of Thebes. It's closed today, meaning that Mahad is trying to figure out little details." Bakura smirked at Yami, the teen having perked up in interest. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind help from the Pharaoh."

"But they think-"

"I'll have to tell them eventually." Yami shrugged, pulling Yugi off his lap and glancing back at Tomoya, Ryou copying the move and nearly laughing at the expression on the blonde teenager's face. "It's not like that, Tomoya. Trust me."

"Considering you know the way back, I'll have to." The blonde teen almost offered the phrase as a question, earning a laugh from the others as he tried to fall into the pattern of witty banter. "Especially if they are your definition of sane."

Marik jumped up from the floor, obviously forgetting about his prior injury. "I like this kid, Yami. Where did you find him?"

"Yugi found him." The comment was delivered as Yami gently pushed Yugi toward the stairs.

"Any good at games, kid?" Marik leaned forward, the motion making Ryou shake his head. Since Yami had left, Marik had often found himself tag-teamed by Bakura and himself, often getting extra chores heaped on him because of it.

"No. That's Yugi."

"Sorry Marik, I'm taken." Yugi shouted the phrase over his shoulder, yelping as Yami swept him into his arms and bounded up the stairs. Ryou rolled his eyes and followed after, still fending off Bakura absently. Marik and Tomoya had settled into a conversation about comic books, a disagreement was already brewing behind him.

Ryou sighed, an odd sense of contentment washing through him. As much as he was glad that Yami was happy, he had still missed this, the little family they had formed out of nothing. He shook his head, clearing the top of the stairs and barely glancing at where Yami had Yugi pinned to the nearest wall. Ryou just reached out and slapped Yami across the back of the head, earning a yelp from his big brother.

"Behave."

"Yes, mother. Ow! Ryou!"

* * *

He smiled at the familiar sight of the casino, squeezing Yugi's hand before following the others in, having to dodge to one side as Marik and Tomoya continued their argument over who was really the best super villain. But, then again, Marik wasn't happy unless he had something to argue about. Yami shook his head and entered the casino, ignoring the sign that said it was closed. Ryou still worked here, so they could get in.

While Marik and Tomoya immediately headed over to the bar stools to continue their match, Yami walked down the familiar hallway to Mahad's office, as the man wasn't in the main room of the casino. Yugi stuck close to his side, leaning against him as they walked towards the office door.

Yami knocked, rocking backwards as the door opened to reveal Mana. The girl blinked at him before letting out a scream and slamming the door in his face. He shot a glare at Yugi, who was laughing at him. "Is this the usual reaction you get from them?"

He was about to answer when the door swung open again, Yami finding himself staring down the barrel of a gun that Mahad held. The teenager's eyes widened, automatically pushing Yugi behind him and taking a step back in fright. "Mahad…"

"This isn't funny. You tell me who you are right now and why you ever thought to pretend to be the Pharaoh."

"Mahad, it's me."

"Tell me!" Yami felt Yugi press close to him as the man bellowed out the last statement, trying to push the shorter teen away so he wouldn't get shot. Yugi clung to him, still in danger if Mahad fired at point blank range. Yugi would get shot too.

"Mahad, please, you'll hit Yugi."

"Yugi?" The shorter teen peeked out from behind Yami at his name, waving nervously at Mahad as he did so. The man lowered his gun, looking very confused. "But I buried the Pharaoh myself."

Yami twitched as the muzzle of the gun was used to motion to him, his instincts telling him to run. Usually, he would have listened to them, but he needed to stay and fix this misunderstanding. "If you check now, I probably won't be there."

Mahad stumbled back into his office, Yami taking the opportunity to walk in. he glanced around, finding that the decorations had not changed since he had last been here over two years ago. He smiled to himself, feeling Yugi brush past him to sit on the couch that Mahad had collapsed on, the man dropping the gun to burry his head in his hands. "This is just too much."

"Mahad, my friend," Yami took a step forward, "I'm sorry. About all of this."

The man looked up, staring at him. "How?"

"It's a long story." Yami leaned back against the desk. "One I thought that Ryou would have told you by now."

"I didn't want to hear it." Mahad leaned back, glaring at him. "It's only been a few weeks since they called and asked me to bury you."

Yami swallowed but said nothing, preferring to glare at the wall. This was one of the reasons he had not looked forward to coming back to his home on this side of the river. It was easier to stay dead than to try and explain it all to his friends. It just ended up hurting them more. He hadn't even come up with what to tell the children back at the old church. He had no intention of abandoning them.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, shrugging at the same time, looking up as Mahad spoke. "Were you really dead? When we buried you?"

"Yes." The word came out as a sigh, Yami looking over his shoulder at the papers spread out on the desk, but not really reading them. "I was. This whole thing is…complicated."

There was a harsh laugh from Mahad. "I can see that already."

"Do you want to hear it?"

Mahad ran his hand over his face, looking up at Yami before looking at the door, a smile briefly appearing. "Over a couple of games of pool, sure."

"It might take longer than that."

"Good." Mahad got up and stretched. "I've gotten tired of winning."

Yami laughed at that, Yugi smiling at the two of them before rushing out to set up the table. Yami watching him go, smiling when Yugi looked back over his shoulder at the two of them. He almost didn't hear Mahad cross the room until the man leaned against the desk as well. Yami glanced up at his friend, ignoring the smirk that Mahad on his face. "You were right about him."

"Really now? And what got you to admit that?" Yami gave Mahad a light shove before pushing away from the desk and walking back down the corridor that would lead to the main room.

The two of the stepped out of the hidden corridor, Yami immediately looking over to where Ryou, Bakura and Marik were attempting to teach Tomoya how to play poker while Yugi racked up the pool balls, waving at Yami as he spotted him. Ryou must have seen the move, because he looked up from his cards to give a nod, returning to his hand with a frown.

Yami sauntered over to the poker table, circling around before staring at Tomoya's cards, raising an eyebrow at what he saw before walking away, feeling the stares of Bakura, Ryou and Marik on his back before they all folded. He leaned against the pool table, watching them as Tomoya revealed the horrible hand he had, earning groans from everyone around the table.

"Damn it, Pharaoh!" Yami just saluted in response, turning around to face Yugi, who was trying to be stern. Yami just smiled, watching Yugi break into laughter, having to hold onto the pool table to stay upright. He walked over to Yugi's side of the table, pulling the teenager into a hug.

"That was awful, Yami." The words were gasped out around Yugi's giggled, Yami content with holding him close for the moment.

"What? I merely implied. They chose to take it the way they wanted to."

"You haven't changed, Pharaoh."

"Why, did you expect me too?" Yami smiled at Mahad as the man came over, reluctant to let go of Yugi. The shorter teenager had to shuffle awkwardly around the table as Yami moved, struggling against the hold halfheartedly. "Heaven didn't have that much of an effect on me."

Mahad laughed and leaned over the table for his shot, Yami taking the chance to give Yugi one last hug before picking up his own pool stick and examining the way the balls had broken. He heard Yugi moving around behind him, catching a glimpse of the teen shuffling out of his way as he lined up his shot, smirking as the ball rolled smoothly into the pocket.

He looked up at Mahad, watching his friend lean over the pool table before looking up again. "So, before you begin, where are you staying now?"

"With Yugi." The words were accompanied by a jerk of his head towards the teenager, Yami already lining up his next shot.

"Ah." Yami raised his eyebrow at the tone of voice that Mahad implied, choosing to ignore it for the time being. He hit the cue ball, not bothering to watch as his next shot sent another ball into a pocket, already searching the room for Yugi.

The teenager was over at the poker table, coaching Tomoya as the game went on. The two of them laughed at something, a smile coming to Yami's face as he heard them, giving up his place at the table to allow Mahad to make his shot. The man glanced up at him before tapping the cue ball with his stick. "I told you he would be good for you."

"Yeah, you did." Yami shook his head, watching as Mahad lined up his next shot. He glared at the back of his friend's head, reaching over to tap the base of his pool stick against it in a rebuke. "Stop gloating."

"I wasn't. Just waiting in anticipation for your explanation."

Yami snorted and leaned against the table, shaking his head. "Okay, starting from the beginning…"

* * *

Tomoya laughed as Marik continued to outline another impossible plan, something that involved pushing an important politician off a boat. Tomoya drummed his fingers on the bar he was leaning on, shaking his head before fiddling with his can of soda. "And that's your plan is it?"

"Fool proof." Marik gave a crazed smile, pushing off from the bar to go join in the game of poker that was going on. Tomoya smiled and leaned back on the bar, watching as they interacted with each other.

Yugi had been pulled onto Yami's lap, the latter seeming to consult Yugi on what to do constantly, which was making the others nervous. Yugi looked very comfortable in this atmosphere, snuggling up to Yami and often pulling his attention away from the game for a long kiss. And they were still winning.

Tomoya turned his attention to Bakura and Ryou next, watching the pair as they interacted. Unlike Yugi and Yami, these two were playing with their own hands, pointedly ignoring each other. Or that's what Tomoya assumed. The starts that Ryou gave at times hinted that Bakura wasn't paying as much attention to the game as he should have been.

Why the two were attracted to each other was a mystery to him. Bakura was obviously not one to show emotions, even if he had any, while Ryou was quite open with what he was feeling. There was a rough edge to Bakura, one that had Tomoya trying to avoid the teen the entire time because it scared him. The bravado that Bakura showed wasn't faked but came with experience, and Tomoya didn't want to find out what experience had contributed to that.

Bakura was rough and Ryou was soft. There was no way they should have been able to stand each other. But they did, total opposites attracting and actually working.

Tomoya had seen enough relationships between opposites break off. He had always been the quiet kid lurking in the corners so he had seen these things. Whatever was said about opposites attracting was just romantic nonsense, at least to his mind. But here, it actually seemed to work.

He leaned his cheek onto his hand, his eyes moving over to Marik, a smile on his face. Marik was an interesting one. Seeing to be completely insane and then showing a side of intelligence that one wouldn't expect. Of course, he hadn't expected anything intelligent from the people on this side of the river.

Everyone that he had talked to had made it seem like they were the rejects of society, the ones that never could have fit in because of some factor that had pushed them out; something inherently wrong with them. What was never told were the stories of the ones that had nowhere else to go when the economy turned or when their family died; the ones that found that their world could no longer accept them, so they searched for a world where they could be accepted.

Sure there had to be insane and crazy people here, but there were more people who had come from these sad stories, just surviving along with the rest of them. And Tomoya was almost sad that he had never thought of this, never thought about coming down here because of what others had said. After all, he had spent a few months in the slums himself when his father had lost his job and was searching for another one. And he had willingly allowed himself to believe what other had told him about this place. He should have known better than that.

"Hey Tomoya," he looked up at the sound of Ryou's voice, "want to come and play with us."

"No, I'd just lose."

"Not poker, we're starting something else." He hesitated for a moment before nodding, slipping off his stool and walking over. He saw Mahad walking over too, the man stopping to talk to Yami for a moment before pulling up a chair. Tomoya found his own chair before joining them, squeezing in between Marik and Yami.

"One round and then we have to head back home." Yami waved off Ryou's groan of disappointment, glaring at Bakura's cheer. "I have to get these two back before their parents wonder where they've been all day."

"Deal, Pharaoh." Yami accepting the cards, quickly shuffling them before dealing them out to the people sitting around the table. Tomoya accepted his cards with a smile, staring at them as he waited for the name of the game, feeling very lucky for the first time that day.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Seven**

Dartz watched the pack of young girls race around the small backyard that they had, often leaning over to keep things from falling down in the midst of their hyper stampede. Iona was often in the fray, never seeming to be worn out from the boundless energy. Most of them had already gone home, but a few had parents running a bit late. Dartz chuckled to himself and carefully pushed another plate back up onto the table.

From the front yard, a car horn blared, sending the girls rushing around the house to see which parent had arrived, Iona following at a slightly slower pace. Dartz hesitated before following his wife around, smiling as he saw that the rest of the children had gone, leaving Rebecca and Iona to wander into the backyard. They picked up a small bowl of chips, sitting on the back porch and eating them in silence.

Rebecca was the first to speak, staring morosely at the empty yard in front of her. "Can daddy really see me from up there?"

"Of course, darling."

"Does he know how much we miss him?" Dartz swallowed back tears at this, walking over to sit where his accustomed spot would have been, had he not died. He sat on the step right beside his wife, the height difference enough that he could lean back against the railing and wrap his arm around Iona, something that he couldn't do now.

"Yes. But I told you that he is watching over us."

"Would he…" Rebecca fiddled with the chip in her hand, "Would he come down for my birthday?"

"Yes. He was probably here all through the party, watching his little princess." Rebecca gave her adopted mother a smile, reaching over to steal a chip from her mother.

"You'll spoil your dinner." The two of them laughed, Dartz having to finally force himself to walk away into the house. He wasn't part of their lives like that anymore, he was just an outsider. But he could still guide them.

He walked through the walls into the kitchen, searching around for the pen and paper and Iona always kept around. He smiled when he found it, picking up the pen and pondering over what he was going to write. Dartz looked outside, seeing that his family was still out there and began to write, leaving the kitchen for the roof when Iona came back in. Dartz balanced himself before taking off, heading for Domino at a slow pace.

There was no need to hurry. It was becoming a nice night, calm and peaceful. Dartz took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, looking around before spotting a roof to sit on. He leaned back on his hands, watching the sunset, only stalling like this in memory of the times that Iona and himself had done so many times before. He relaxed, remembering what he had written his wife.

_My Dearest Iona,_

_Sadly, this is the only way to contact you now, but it is better than nothing. Tell Rebecca that I wish her a Happy Birthday and that I was there at the party and that I'm very proud of my little princess. I am also very proud of you, Iona, for staying strong through all of this. I am sorry that I cannot be there for the both of you all the time from now on, but I promise to try and make it around for the holidays._

_If Rebecca begins to beg for a sibling, I know someone who can help. Just head into Domino and go to the Kame Game Shop. There should be a teenager there who knows a few kids who live in the slums of Domino who need a good home, one where they won't be treated like dirt. Also, it's a nice little shop, family run like the ones from my hometown._

_I still love the both of you very much and want you to be happy._

_With love, Dartz_

* * *

Yami stretched as he walked over the bridge back towards Domino, dodging to one side as Yugi tried to poke him. He retaliated with a poke to Yugi's side before darting off, hearing Tomoya laugh as Yugi chased him over the bridge, the absence of foot traffic allowing them to play like this.

The blonde jogged a few steps to get ahead of them, Yami passing him in the next instant as he attempted to move away from Yugi's next attack. Yami glanced over his shoulder, seeing Yugi close behind him before looking back in front of him, coming to a quick stop. He felt Yugi run into his back, the teenager's fingers curling in his jacket as they both stared at the six teenagers that waited for them, blocking their way across the bridge.

Yami immediately recognized the one that he had run into at Domino High, shifting so that he could easily protect Tomoya and Yugi if they attacked. For now, they seemed content to just stand and glare, their leader crossing his arms and the first to break the silence. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Back home."

"Turn around then, scum, because it's back there." Yami growled, automatically looking for escape routes. While he was sure that Yugi could hold his own, it was better that they ran while they had the chance instead of staying and fighting. He froze at what the teenager said next. "And take your whore with you."

"What?!"

"You heard me, that wimp clinging to the back of your jacket. Everyone knows that's what he had to do to survive." The teenager laughed. "Don't tell me you actually thought your little boyfriend was still a virgin."

Yami tensed. The guy was lying, he knew that. But he wouldn't let anyone insult Yugi and get away with it. His eyes landed on the spaces in their line, ones that they wouldn't be able to close fast enough. He smirked before rushing at them, Yugi following his lead with Tomoya right behind.

His fist connected with the guy's chin, Yami ducking under the swinging arm to make use of the hole he had just made, seeing Yugi and Tomoya sneak through the other one. He then took the chance to run, rushing over the pavement towards safety. Tomoya and Yugi kept up, ahead of him by a little bit.

Then he felt something grab the back of his jacket before swinging him around, giving Yami a glance at the bleeding face of the leader. "You're going for a swim for that."

He was tossed into the air, disoriented for a moment before he hit the water, forcing his eyes open and making for the surface. He coughed up water as he bobbed up, wiping his face before looking around for the stairs that would lead to the road. Yami shook his bangs out of his eyes and began to swim towards the stairs, hoping that Yugi and Tomoya would have the sense to keep running.

His heart sank as he watched two of the six teenagers stomp down the stairs, effectively blocking his escape. There was no way out of the river on the slums side, meaning that Yami would have to swim up to the next set, something that would take longer and have him trapped again. Or, he could fight his way past these guys.

"Where are you going, sewer rat?" Yami growled at the nickname, picking himself out of the water and intending to storm past them when the leader nodded to one of the others. Yami jumped to avoid a punch, only to feel a hand clamp around his neck before he was forced underwater again, the hand not letting him up.

Yami hung motionless underwater for a moment, absorbing this information before he realized what was going on. He was underwater, and he couldn't get back up. His eyes widened as he began to struggle, ignoring the rational part of his mind that said that struggling would not help. All he could think about were all the times he had been held underwater, sure he could hear his heart slowing the longer he was held under.

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Yami gasped, water rushing into his lungs at that move. He clawed at the hand that was around his throat, slowly going limp as he ran out of oxygen. His eyes were fluttering shut when the hand was suddenly removed, the absence taking him a while to notice.

Sluggishly, he burst to the surface, coughing as he looked at the teenagers, all rubbing their head and all of them in the water. He looked up, eyes widening as he saw Yugi with another rock held in his hand, ready to throw it. Yugi look at him and motioned up to hurry up, Yami struggling to comply with his shaky limbs.

He scrambled up the stairs, collapsing at the top to cough up the water that had gotten into his lungs, barely aware that Yugi was clinging to him, trying to get him to move. Yami could barely stay on his hands and knees. He gave one last cough before looking blearily up at Yugi, using the shorter teenager to get up.

All too soon, Yugi was encouraging him to run, the frightened look in the teenager's eyes enough to keep Yami going even when he was feeling like he was going to fall over at any second. Every once and a while he would catch a glimpse of Tomoya waving them on, realizing after a while that Yugi had sent the blonde ahead to act as a guard.

Yami stumbled, falling to the ground outside and alley, coughing again before sliding to the ground. Immediately, Yugi was kneeling beside him, trying to pull him up. He shook his head, coughing weakly before he was able to speak. "I can't go further Yugi."

"There's right behind us!" Yugi was tugging at his arm, looking nervously at where they had just run from.

"Aibou-"

"No!" He yelped as he was hauled partially upright, Yugi attempting to drag him along. Yami whimpered, struggling to get his feet under him to at least help Yugi out. "I am not leaving you behind again!"

"Yugi!" Tomoya came running up to them, panting heavily. "They've surrounded us. There's no way-"

"Hello, sewer rat."

"-out."

Yami pushed away from Yugi, swaying unsteadily on his feet as he looked at the ground surrounding them, shaking his head when his vision blurred. They were definitely in trouble now. His quick planning was interrupted by a punch through by one of their attackers, sending him backwards. He heard a cry from Yugi, turning to watch as another teenager shoved him back into the alley, Yugi fighting him the entire time.

He was picking himself off the ground when he was kicked in the side, rolling over the pavement until he came to a stop, coughing as he tried to get up again, only to have the leader grab him by his throat and back him into the nearest wall. Yami clawed at the hand around his neck, looking frantically around for the two he had promised to protect.

Yugi was pinned up against a wall as well, still fighting the one that held him there, the teenager covered in bruises and scratches. Tomoya had ducked into a corner, two of the teenagers glaring at him.

A punch to his gut brought Yami back to the leader of the group, glaring at the teenager as he pulled back. "Better, sewer rat. Now, we're going to let your little followers watch, so they remember the punishment for those who step out of their place. As for your little whore, he'll be sent on his way soon enough."

"You will not harm my-" Yami choked on the last word as he was slammed against he wall, the world spinning for a moment. He began to hear the sound of laughing, looking up weakly as he watched the other teenager's follow their leader's example. He had a moment to recover before he was dropped to the ground.

"How well do you fight, sewer rat?"

Yami managed a smile. "Well enough."

He lunged for the teenager, ducking one blow to slam his shoulder into the guy's stomach, sending him tumbling backwards. Yami hurriedly moved out of the way, kicking the back of Yugi's captor's knee, and watching him fall. Yami smirked as Tomoya got the idea and sprinted for the exit, Yugi close on his heels. Yami pushed off the ground to run after them, making the entrance to the alley before he was grabbed again, Yugi turning to see it. "Yami!"

Yami tried to scramble away to freedom again, only to have his legs swept out from under him. Yami grunted and rolled, managing to break free and having Yugi and Tomoya haul him up from the ground, the latter shaking badly. He tore his gaze away from the blonde teenager as the leader spoke up. "So you have friends. Good."

That was the only warning he got before all six of the teenagers came at them. Yami tried his best to keep the worse of the blows from landing on Yugi and Tomoya, but soon he was forced to his knees, grunting as he was beaten. His world quickly shrunk to Yugi calling his name, the sound meaning that Yugi was still alive, which was all that mattered to him. His arms quivered finally giving out as the teenagers continued to kick him. Yami allowed them to, too tired and sore to do anything about it. He had fought as hard as he could in this condition and he had tried to get them out of there.

The beatings slowed around the time that Yugi stopped shouting. Yami tensing on the ground and trying to lever himself up, only to be pushed back down by the leader of the group. For a moment that seemed to last forever, the beating increased in speed. Rain began to patter down from the sky, becoming a welcome distraction for him.

Yami was hovering near a state of unconsciousness when the final kick was delivered, the leader leaning over and pulling his head from the ground by his hair. He blinked slowly, his vision not focusing as the leader of the group spat in his face before releasing him. "I hope you learned your lesson, sewer rat."

He heard the teenagers start to laugh as they walked away, loosing consciousness quickly after that.

* * *

Yugi groaned as he moved, all his muscles protesting. He raised himself to a sitting position, reaching over to shake Tomoya until the blonde boy woke up. With the air of two people used to waking up in this condition, Yugi and Tomoya carefully stood up, taking stock of what they still had.

Tomoya was the first to finish, giving Yugi a shaky smile. "Just like old times, huh?" His answer from Yugi was a shudder and a wince. The blonde teenager shook his head. "I'll head home. See if I can get those people identified. Send Joey after them."

They both gave a weak chuckle at that, Yugi turning to look towards the exit of the alley, his laugh cutting off. Through the rain that was escalating into a downpour, he could see Yami splayed out on the ground, still not moving.

Ignoring the protests of his body, Yugi raced over to the spot, dropping to one knee and trying to shake Yami awake. "Yami? Yami wake up."

He shivered as Yami didn't respond, his mind flashing back to another time. Yugi shook his head, trying to force the thoughts away. Yami just couldn't be dead. He couldn't be.

"Yami! Yugi!" He looked up at the sound of his name, tensing where he crouched over Yami. It took him a minute to recognize it. Yugi perked up then, trying to sit up as quickly as he could.

"Ryou! Over here!"

He relaxed as Ryou jogged through the rain, his sure strides slowing as he saw Yami. Uncaring about the soaked pavement, Ryou knelt beside Yami, staring at his big brother before looking up at Tomoya. "Can you walk home alright?"

Tomoya flinched but nodded. "I'm used to this."

Ryou gave a curt nod, returning his attention to his big brother. "I'm going to take these two back with me because it's closer. I'll send someone to talk with Solomon."

Yugi reached down to hold Yami's hand, watching as his friend stumbled off, heading back towards the main thoroughfares of Domino. A nudge to his shoulder drew him back to what was going on, helping Ryou haul Yami upright and attempt to hold him there. After a moment of fumbling, Ryou shook his head. "I'll take his legs."

Yugi nodded and positioned himself at Yami's shoulders, lifting with Ryou and beginning to move. He shook water out of his eyes, glancing back over his shoulder before looking at Ryou. "How did you know?"

The British teen shrugged, jerking his head to one side to help Yugi avoid running into things. "I don't know. I just suddenly knew that I needed to find you guys. Probably because I had been an angel once or just some sixth sense."

They fell silent, concentrating on moving as quickly as they could as the two of them began shivering as they were soaked. Yugi made a sound of annoyance as his bangs fell into his eyes, shaking his head to get them out of his way. He sighed with relief as he realized that they were nearly jogging down the street to the house. He could also see which one it was, the door open and Bakura leaning against the frame.

The thief pushed away from the frame of the door as they walked up, looking shocked. "Whoa, you weren't kidding then Ryou?"

The British teen shook his head, maneuvering them inside and down the stairs. He looked over his shoulder at Yugi. "His bedroom should be clean. You two can stay there for now."

Yugi nodded, biting his lip as Bakura opened the door to Yami's room, keeping out of their way as they heaved Yami onto his bed. Yugi clambered up beside his guardian angel, reaching for his hand as Ryou stared at him. At a nod from the British teen, they peeled off Yami's shirt, flinging it to one corner of the room.

Carefully, Ryou prodded Yami's sides, checking for any broken bones, the British teen watching Yami's face for any signs of discomfort. Finally, he sat back, shaking his head with a sigh. "Nothing broken, thankfully. But battered and bruised. Just a few cuts."

Yugi gave a nod, looking away from Ryou as the teen leaned against the bed and gave another shaky sigh. He heard Ryou shift, tensing as the British teen rested a hand on his shoulder. "How about you?"

"Bruised." Yugi smiled back at Ryou. "But that's nothing new."

Ryou nodded and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Yugi wrapped his arms around himself and shivered, slipping off the bed and walking across the room to the closet. He rummaged around in the clothes that Yami had left here, finding a set of sweats for the both of them before changing, glad to be out of his wet clothes. He then moved over to the bed, carefully removing the last of the wet clothing from Yami before redressing him in the sweats.

Yugi paused at the soft moan that Yami gave, watching his eyes open briefly. "Aibou?"

"Here." Yugi snuggled beside Yami, awkwardly pulling the covers out from under them. He pulled the blanket over them, smiling as he felt Yami shift towards him. He rolled over and made sure that Yami stayed on his back, his sides too bruised to allow him to sleep at all in that position. Yami gave a confused him before slipping back into sleep, Yugi carefully arranging himself close by.

* * *

Tomoya paused at a corner, leaning against a building and panting. He hadn't lied to Ryou when he said that he was used to this, but it had been a while since his last beating. He groaned and pushed away from the building, stumbling a few more steps to the crosswalk. Automatically, he pushed the button and leaned against the pole, praying that the light would take long enough for him to rest.

It seemed like someone pitied him because the light stayed red long enough for him to catch his breath and rest his complaining leg. He took a deep breath before pushing off the pole and stumbling across the street, his mind already working to trace the path back to his house. Just a few more streets and then he was home, but it still felt like miles.

Tomoya took another break, letting himself have a minute to clean the rain off his glasses before continuing onward. He managed a few steps before nearly falling; suddenly being caught by something he couldn't see. Tomoya slowly stood back up, using his guardian angel for balance.

Then he heard it, seeming to come from a great distance, a small whisper. "What happened to you?"

Excitement over being able to speak to his guardian angel would have to wait until later. "Got beaten up. They got Yugi and Yami too, but they've gone back."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"Because I can make it home," Tomoya contemplated the distance he would have to travel, "eventually."

"Let me help you then."

"Thanks." He didn't care that he looked stupid leaning on something that wasn't there, he was a bit too tired. And now, with someone to help him along, the distance didn't seem too bad. As much as Tomoya wanted to talk with his guardian, he refrained from doing so, just concentrating on forging ahead.

He relaxed as they turned the corner to his street, picking up the pace as he caught sight of the green roof that made up the game shop, his house the one before it. He was almost there, almost home.

Tomoya jogged the last few steps, despite the complaining muscles, to his house, hurriedly letting himself in. His joy was short lived as his mother and father immediately swooped down on him, Tomoya realizing that he was later than he had thought.

"We were worried sick! What happened?"

Tomoya swallowed nervously at his mother's question. To them, he had spent the day wandering around Domino with Yami and Yugi, which was technically not a lie. He just hadn't spent it all in the 'good' section of Domino. He gave a weak chuckle, shivering before looking up at his parents. "Some kids beat me up."

"Where were your friends in this?"

"Same thing." Tomoya shivered, realizing that he would have to answer as to where Yami and Yugi were now. He swallowed before giving an overdramatic shudder. "Can I take a shower and change clothes? Cold."

Immediately his parents stopped their interrogation, allowing him to limp up the stairs and head for his room. He could almost sense his guardian angel's presence beside him, the angel waiting until they were alone in his room before talking again. "Are the others alright?"

Tomoya nodded absently while searching for warm clothes. "Yugi should be, but Yami wouldn't wake up immediately. They should be fine, but they were closer to that side of the river than the game shop, so they took him back there."

The angel said nothing for a moment, Tomoya having the time to walk to his door before the angel spoke again. "Why?"

"What?" He paused, running his mind back over the conversation before realizing what the angel had asked him. "Oh. Because," Tomoya shrugged, "because we were there. Because we aren't like the others. There are tons of reasons."

He walked out, leaving the angel to sit and brood in his room.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Eight**

Dartz remained sitting on Tomoya's bed for a minute longer before pushing away and flying up onto the roof, sitting on the edge as the rain continued to fall. He glanced over at the game shop before shaking his head.

He knew these beatings happened, he had seen the evidence when he was in school but, like all the others, had ignored it. He knew that there was little to no reason why they would happen. He had been shot randomly, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And it looked like that had happened here as well. Tomoya had just been with the wrong people at the wrong time.

Dartz felt his hands clench into fists, his anger at Atemu disappearing in the next moment. He couldn't blame the other angel. If Atemu had been knocked out that means he had fought, he had kept his promise the best that he could. If there was anyone to blame, it was the people who had beaten them.

But, then again, it was this whole city's fault for even thinking like that. For separating themselves from those who were struggling. It was that mentality that had led to this act.

Dartz tensed at the realization. As long as there were people willing to listen to what nonsense was spewed out by others, no one would be safe. There would still be beatings and killings. Guardian angels could only interact with the ones they protected, leaving so many others without that protection. Leaving others to possibly die.

He was a prime example of that.

With a growl, he turned his head to look at the game shop, surprised to see a teenager standing at the door talking with Solomon, the teenager pressed as far under the overhang as he could get. Curious, Dartz jumped from the roof and glided down to the ground.

"Are you sure?"

The teenager nodded, his platinum blonde hair catching the light that came from inside the shop. "They're both fine. Ryou sent me out after he was sure."

Solomon leaned heavily against the doorframe, looking out into the rain. "Keep them there for the rest of the weekend. Hopefully those boys will stop looking for them."

The teenager gave a nod, pulling his hood up further on his head. He was about to leave when Solomon called him back. "Thank you."

The teenager nodded again and jogged out into the rain, leaving Solomon alone. The elderly man turned and walked back into the shop, shutting the door. Dartz stood outside for a while longer, the rain pattering down around him but never touching him. The angel sighed, shaking his head as he looked back toward his charge's house.

There was a light in Tomoya's room; he could just see the edge of one of the windows from here. Dartz took a step back, staring at the house and what little light he could see. Why couldn't they just leave Tomoya and his friends alone? Better yet, why were people who were like that allowed on earth. If they weren't allowed in heaven why should they exist at all? He shuddered and looked down at the ground. Something equally as horrible could happen to anyone at any time. Like Iona and Rebecca.

Dartz tensed at the thought, looking back in the direction of where his family lived. He was barely aware that he was shivering. There had to be a way to stop it, because he couldn't. Not even Atemu could on his own. And the thought frightened him because it was only the two of them in this city.

He rubbed the back of his neck before looking up at the sky. He had been going to visit heaven to see if there was a reason for Atemu to be able to live while others could not. But that had to wait now, this was more pressing.

Dartz pushed off from the ground, flapping his wings quickly. He wanted to get up to heaven as fast as possible. It wasn't possible for him to feel tired, but he was impatient. Dartz pushed himself faster, not slowing until he had reached the gates and had been let in.

Once in, Dartz managed to calm himself, joining the other angels in the air. He dodged around some, heading for where the book was kept. He landed close to it, walking the few steps to the book.

It was amazing that this book wasn't guarded at all, especially after the incident. Dartz was sure that the gossip was highly exaggerated, but the fact that the book was taken still stood. And it still wasn't being guarded. He shook his head in disappointment, laying his hand on the cover before closing his eyes. "I want something that can keep those on earth safe from evil."

He flipped open the book, staring at the page that was in front of him. At first, it was blank but then, very slowly, bright green ink began to ooze out of the pages. It moved across the page, painting in words in an elegant hand. Some of it moved to the outer edges of the pages, writing in symbols. Dartz took a step back, waiting until it had finished before he read it over.

The words took a while to sink in, his eyes widening as he realized that he had found his answer, a way to keep his charge and Yugi safe from harm. A way that could protect Iona and Rebecca in the end as well. It was perfect. And there were no flaws.

Dartz looked around quickly before resting his hand on one page while reading what he would have to do. A simple chant, easily accomplished above Domino. He read it through a couple of more times, committing it to memory before turning away from the book, thinking vaguely that he would warn Atemu what was happening if this worked.

As he walked away, his hand turned the page for the book, Dartz not noticing that Atemu's whole life was laying open for him to read; the man too focused on what he was about to do. He spread his wings and took off, the pages of the book flapping with the wind, the cover slamming shut in the next minute, hiding the secrets the pages contained in the next moment.

Dartz quickly made his way back to the entrance, waving a few angels before diving back through the clouds, squinting against the wind that brushed against him from his flight. He barely had time to register the blinking lights of Domino, pulling up before he hit one of the taller skyscrapers. Dartz shook his head and beat his wings a few times to gain altitude.

He paused for a moment to look down on the city, admiring the lights before shaking his head. Light cast shadows, which hid the people who would harm anyone. And he was preventing the injury or death of so many innocents by this.

Dartz folded his hands almost in prayer, staring at the city below him before he began to chant, the words rolling easily off his tongue like they wanted to be said. He wanted to close his eyes, but found that he could not, keeping them open as the rain slowed, stopping for a moment only for something else to fall from the sky.

He stared in awe at the green crystals that were now mixing in with the rain, holding out his hand to catch one as the rest continued to fall down. He examined the small rock that he held, the green color reminding him of the ink from the book. He rolled it around in his palm for a while before letting it drop down with the rest.

The book had said that the fall of the crystals wouldn't last long, just long enough for them to roll into nooks and crannies. They would activate on their own during certain times, meaning that an optimum number of tainted souls would be taken. Where was not specified. But Dartz didn't care about the where; he just wanted the people taken out of this world so no more harm could be done. The crystals wouldn't harm people within their own houses, so their charges and their families could be kept inside. And it would only happen in Domino. The rest of the world could hear and learn from this one city. Dartz gave a firm nod before concentrating on getting back.

The rain of crystals stopped as quickly as it started, Dartz hovering above the city. Soon everything would be alright. Those souls who were not bound for heaven would be taken away. And everyone would be safe.

He smiled to himself before turning around and flying for Tomoya's house. He would watch over the boy as he slept, making sure that Tomoya wouldn't be too affected by his beating. Then, he would find Atemu and explain things.

* * *

Bakura leaned against the wall in the first floor of their house, partially listening to what was going on downstairs. He had come up here with the excuse of letting Marik in, since the idiot had left his key when they had sent him out to tell Yugi's grandfather that both the boys were alright. But his real reason was to get away from Yami. He was perfectly capable of waiting on the stairs…but he didn't want to.

He had wandered back down for a sandwich a few minutes ago and had nearly run back up without it. And it was all because of that stupid Pharaoh.

As much as Bakura hated to admit it, it scared him to see Yami so weak. The teenager had been stumbling out of his old bedroom, having to hold onto Yugi for support. It was bad if Yami was allowing himself to lean on Yugi. And, while Bakura was sure that Yami would be back to normal soon enough, it was the fact that he had gotten hurt that was scaring him.

Yami was and had always been Ryou's first line of defense. Yami would be the one to hold everything back while Bakura got Ryou away. And now, that wasn't there anymore.

And, in his mind, it was just impossible for Yami to be forced into such a state. And it shook his world to pieces when it happened.

Bakura was barely aware of the still uneaten sandwich in his hand as he walked over to one of the front windows, pausing when he heard the sound of something hitting them. He tipped his head to the side, realizing that it sounded almost like ice. But that wasn't right at all.

The thief tensed and strode over to the door, flinging it open to look outside. Immediately he felt his mouth fall open, staring at the green crystals that were falling from the sky with the rain. His eyes followed one as it rolled into a nearby grate, disappearing into the sewers. But it still didn't feel right.

Bakura backed into the house, jumping as hands came to rest on his shoulder, turning his head to see Yami using him as a brace as the teenager stepped out into the open. Yami kept one hand on the house as he moved, flinching from time to time as some part of his body complained.

Then, as soon as it had started, the fall of crystals stopped, bringing with it an unnerving silence.

Bakura swallowed nervously, looking over his shoulder at Ryou and Yugi, the two teens inside the house. It was unnatural, this silence, making the hair on Bakura's neck stand up. His sixth sense as a thief was telling him that this was the time to run, time to turn around before the trap was sprung. He glanced over at where Yami stood, easily telling that the Pharaoh was just as uneasy.

He was about to turn around and go back inside the house, all his senses screaming to retreat to a safe place when he saw Marik walking down the street, holding something in his hand. It wasn't a far guess to say that it was one of the crystals that had fallen from the sky, which was a bad thing. Bakura was about to shout at the Egyptian when he saw Yami tense.

The thief growled before leaning further out of the house to shout, "Marik!"

The Egyptian looked up at him before dropping the crystal and jogging towards them, Bakura distracted from his friend as Yami began moving back as fast as he could towards the door. The teenager nearly jumped through the doorway, Yugi catching him before he could fall to the ground. Bakura turned to ask Yami what he thought he was doing when he felt something from outside.

He turned around things that looked like heat waves appeared through the rain, drifting over the street. The people already out slowed, staring at the phenomenon even as Marik dashed through them. The Egyptian was almost back to the house when it happened, columns of green light snapping up around certain people while leaving others. Marik leapt for the doorway just as a column appeared where he had just been standing.

Even with Marik scrambling over him to get to safety, Bakura couldn't help but stare at the columns, watching as people scrambled at the surface to get out. And then, they all just stopped, staring blankly out of their green cage.

Bakura gave a sigh of relief, not really knowing what it was for, using the moment to stand up. Then, his hand tightened on the door as the columns of light disappeared, the people falling to the ground.

Before he knew what he was doing, Bakura was out the door, vaguely hearing Marik and Bakura following him out. The thief rushed to the first body and knelt down, looking the man over as Marik knelt beside him. The Egyptian hesitated a moment before shaking the man. "Steve?"

"Check his pulse." Bakura glanced back at Ryou, catching the shrug that the British teen gave. It was unhelpful, but the only thing that anyone could think of doing. Ignoring Marik's continued attempts to wake the man up; Bakura rested his fingers against the man's neck, snapping briefly at Marik to shut up before closing his eyes.

There was a pulse there, but it was weak. Bakura sat back, looking at the rest of the people who were splayed out on the ground. His eyebrows rose as he recognized some of them from various thieving jobs, all of them having some kind of criminal record. Which meant that there was a chance that this was a pattern.

Which meant that this hadn't happened at random.

Bakura turned to look back at the two who still stood in the doorway, his eyes meeting Yami's. The teen's red eyes were narrowed as he looked out onto the street, Bakura knowing that Yami took this as an insult to himself.

Ever since he and Noa had risen to the top, this side of the river had calmed down, not that it had been horrible in the first place. But it had come close. And, possibly in memory of Yami, it had stayed that way. Now this would lead to panic, which could easily tip the inhabitants into that dark place of no return. The people who were here because they had no where else to go would have to flee in the face of the criminals who sought to take advantage of the fear.

It would be chaos.

Bakura stood up as some of the man's comrades who had managed to escape this came to claim their friend. He brushed off his hands before walking back to the house, Yami moving awkwardly aside to let them through. Their gazes met again, Bakura giving a shrug to answer the unasked question.

He didn't know what was happening. And that was the frightening part.

* * *

Yugi closed his eyes, breathing rapidly as the screaming abruptly stopped. The green light flared, Yugi closing his eyes, listening as Yami let the cloth that covered the windows on the first floor go back to its original position. He remained crouched on the floor, shivers running through him as the screams kept replaying themselves in his head.

"Aibou?"

"Is it over?"

He could hear Yami moving towards him, the usual pattern of the teen's footsteps off. Yugi opened his eyes as Yami knelt carefully beside him, seeing him flinch with the motion. While Yami was able to move, he was still sore, often having to lean against walls to keep from falling over. Yami rested a hand on Yugi's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze before pulling Yugi close. "Yes."

Yugi ducked his head, curling into Yami and clung to him. Ever since the first incident, they had remained inside, mostly talking in whispers as they tried to work out what had happened. It was soon after the second incident that Ryou had asked about the souls of the people. Then the discussion had circled around only Yami and Ryou, the two of them talking quickly before agreeing that they didn't know, their best guess being that their souls had been stolen.

He felt Yami encouraging him to stand, Yugi getting up quickly to help Yami navigate down the stairs. It wasn't strictly necessary, but Yugi didn't want to stray too far from his guardian angel, and Yami felt the same.

They walked into the living room, Ryou looking up from where he sat on the sofa toying with a pillow. The British teen gave them a shaky smile as they came over, putting the pillow down. "Hey."

"Find out anything?" Ryou had gone out during one of the lulls to the neighboring houses, speaking to people before rushing back. By then Yami had been watching carefully for the next incident.

Ryou gave a shrug, running a hand through his hair. "It's the same thing. They're all barely alive, like a coma. But there's no reason for it. And…Bakura was right about the pattern."

"Pattern?"

Ryou nodded miserably. "He told me to ask about the people activities, and they were all criminals. Big things, not small. But…it might come to that."

Yugi felt Yami wince, only then realizing that he had tightened his hold on Yami with that news. He felt Yami give a curt nod to Ryou, turning to guide them back to the bedroom that they were sharing. Yugi remained silent the entire time, waiting until Yami had shut the door of the room.

The teenager slumped on the bed, shivering. He heard Yami sit down beside him, pulling him into a one armed hug. "It'll be alright, Yugi."

"But, my family…my friends…" Yugi shivered, his eyes wide. "I don't know what will happen to them!"

"Calm down, Yugi." Yami turned to give him a better hug, rocking them back and forth until Yugi's shivering had calmed. "It'll be alright. We'll go back there and make sure they all know about this. We can warn them."

"But…"

"We don't have phones here, aibou. It's the only way. And I'm not going to send anyone else out."

"No."

"It's not that bad." Yami pulled back with a smile. "We can make it in between these things."

"No!" Yugi scrambled away from Yami, shaking his head quickly. "We're not going to do that! I'm not taking that chance!"

"Yugi-"

"I said no!" Yugi took a shaky breath, forcing himself to look up at Yami's shocked face. "You heard what Ryou said about that pattern. Criminal activities. Things that you have done!"

"Nothing as bad as what the others have done, aibou." Yami sat up straighter, staring at him. "I can promise you that. Those that Ryou spoke about were thieves and a few murderers. I have done nothing like that, not even when I was partners with Noa."

"But you have." Yugi watched Yami start from underneath his bangs, flinching at the glare that the teenager gave him. He sucked in a quick breath as Yami stood up, knowing that Yami had misunderstood him. Yugi reached for him as Yami went to leave, holding onto his arms to prevent him from moving. "You were sent to hell, Yami."

His voice trembled on the words, giving Yami a shake. He watched Yami's eyes widen with the realization, going limp in Yugi's hold as the shorter teenager continued on. "You stole from _heaven_, Yami. Tell me that it isn't a crime! Tell me that you would be safe from those things!"

"I…aibou…"

"We're _not_ going back. _I_ am. _You_ will stay here."

"I can't."

"You have to!"

"I can't, because I would be useless!" Yami shook his head before staring at the wall just above Yugi's head. "If we go back I can talk to Tomoya's guardian angel. He can go up to heaven and he can talk to Isis. Between the three of us, we can figure this thing out. I can't do that from here. _We_ go back tomorrow."

Yugi could see that he wouldn't be able to convince Yami to not go, it was obvious in the way that the teenager looked back down at him. Yugi still shook his head, hoping that, somehow, Yami would cave. But the teenager stood firm, just pulling Yugi close as Yugi kept shivering.

He just held onto Yami as the taller teen guided them back to the bed, Yami curling around him and trying to comfort him. Yugi just allowed Yami to arrange them however he wanted, thoughts still rushing around in his mind.

No matter what Yami said he couldn't ignore the fact that was right in front of him. If all the people who were being targeted were those who had done horrible things. And Yami, in the minds of the angels, had committed the ultimate crime by stealing the watch to come back. There was nothing worse than a crime against heaven.

And he would lose Yami again.

Spurred on by that thought, Yugi turned around and pulled Yami close, kissing him desperately. He felt Yami hesitate before responding, wrapping his arms around Yugi. Feeling no reluctance from Yami, Yugi pushed his hands under Yami's shirt, running them over skin before beginning to push the shirt over Yami's head.

He felt Yami pause, whimpering before putting more into the kiss, hoping that Yami wouldn't protest. He was disappointed as Yami pulled away with a gasp, Yugi taking the moment to pull off Yami's shirt completely. His guardian angel pushed him back, Yugi scrambling to stay close. "Yugi…what-"

Yugi cut him off by kissing him again, pressing up against Yami. He could still feel Yami trying to get away, tensing before finally relaxing and wrapping his arms around Yugi. The teenager sighed into the kiss, trying to get even closer to Yami. They had to pull back for air, Yugi panting heavily as Yami tried to speak again. "Aibou…this is-"

"No. This isn't to fast." Yugi stole another kiss, sitting up to pull off his own shirt and fumble with his belt. He knew that something horrible was going to happen tomorrow, he could just feel it. "This is just perfect."

He was pulled back down into a kiss by Yami, pouting when the kiss was broken too soon for his tastes. Yami was hesitating, looking between his lips and his eyes as he came to a decision. Yugi bit his lip, hoping that Yami would choose to continue. Almost as if Yami read his mind, Yugi found himself pinned to the mattress, Yami hovering over him for a second before he dove back down for another kiss, Yugi arching up into the contact.

And all the time he was pleading that he would be allowed to have this. In case things went wrong, he would always have this.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Nine**

Tèa was shaken from her sleep, the teenage girl rubbing her eyes and sitting up. The first thing that she saw were the brown eyes of Joey, the blonde teenager kneeling beside the couch she was sleeping on. Tèa yawned and wrapped the covers around her as she sat up, looking around Yugi's living room.

She had run over here in the early evening, frightened by the green light and the fact that her parents had yet to return. She hadn't wanted to stay in that house all by herself, so she had come to find her best friend. Unfortunately, Yugi hadn't been there. Solomon had explained that he was staying with some of Yami's friend before offering her the couch as the guest bedroom was a temporary storage room.

She had called her house at least three times before she had fallen asleep on the couch, getting no answer every time. And Solomon had insisted that she remain here.

Tèa rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at her friends, not surprised to see Tristan hovering behind Joey. She was surprised to see Tomoya hiding behind the two of them, looking nervously towards his own house before looking back at her. Tèa shivered and scooted to the edge of the couch. "Are your parents not back either?"

"No. They're over here too." Tomoya gave a partial shrug. "Scared I guess, with all this happening. They're talking to Yugi's grandfather right now."

Tèa gave a slow nod, a glance at Joey and Tristan shared showing that they were in similar situations and equally scared. She shifted on the sofa, showing that they were free to join her, Tomoya slumping into a nearby chair.

The sat in silence for a while, looking up as Solomon and Tomoya's parents walked in. Everyone found a place to sit, all glancing at one another. Tèa looked over at Joey as the blonde muttered something about freaky things happening. She shook her head and looked at Solomon. "You said that Yugi was with Yami?"

Solomon nodded, Tèa breathing a sigh of relief. "Then he'll be fine."

And it was frightening how much they believed that to be true, so willing to put their trust in a stranger that they barely knew.

Tèa jumped as green light started filtering in through the windows, sucking in a deep breath, only barely noticing the way that Joey pulled her close. "It's happening again."

* * *

Ryou stared at the rumpled sheets that were on Yami's bed, smiling as he pushed away from the doorframe and made his way through the house. He paused as he noticed that Bakura was already up, odd for a weekend morning. Bakura wasn't usually found conscious until the afternoon.

He paused, staring at the empty bed as Marik's door opened, the Egyptian cautiously peeking out before venturing into the hallway. He glanced down at Yami's room before giving a short bark of laughter, shaking his head. "Did they get any sleep last night?"

Ryou gave a half-hearted swipe at Marik's head, the Egyptian easily dodging the blow as he walked towards the kitchen. The British teen shook his head and followed, hesitating at the foot of the flight of stairs that led to the first floor before bounding up them.

He knew that Yami and Yugi had left early this morning, he had heard them go out. And, while he thought that it was not the smartest idea, he had known that Yami wouldn't stand by and watch this happen. Yami wouldn't risk Yugi like this if he didn't have a good plan. Hopefully, this meant that there was a solution to this.

The front door was open when he reached the first floor, Bakura out wandering the street, speaking with a few people. Ryou leaned out of the door, blinking in the sunlight. He glanced up at the sky, amazed that it was so bright today, especially with winter coming. He heard Marik come up behind him, intending to turn around and speak to the Egyptian when he felt it.

It was wrong, a different wrong than most heavenly things felt. This felt like something prodding, poking gently at something as it oozed from the ground. Ryou coughed and covered his nose, barely hearing Marik ask what was wrong. And it smelled, smelled of mud and rotting grasses, things primordial and best kept locked away. It was disgusting and familiar, the feeling at least.

He had felt it every time the green light took people away.

Ryou pulled his arm away from his nose, taking a step out of the house as Marik clawed at his shirt to draw him back in. "Bakura!"

"Everyone, inside!" The warning was bellowed out, sending people scattering. They had discovered that it wouldn't dare enter houses, Marik's close call yesterday proving that.

Ryou leaned out further as Bakura sprinted towards them, eyes moving from the thief to the columns of green that appeared, signaling where people had gotten caught. The screams would start soon. The first group had been silent, scared of what was going on. The second group had learned, had seen what had happened to the rest. So they screamed. They and everyone after them screamed. He looked back at Bakura, seeing a glitter of green. Ryou opened his mouth to shout, too slowly. Bakura was caught up in the light, slamming into the front of the column and forced to stop.

Ryou lunged forward before he could think properly about what he was doing, his forward motion suddenly stopped as he felt a hand on his shirt. He barely glanced over his shoulder, turning partially to claw at Marik as he tried to reach the street.

He jerked away from the Egyptian, getting far enough to actually step on the street before Marik bodily hauled him back inside, a green column appearing where Ryou had been. He could hear Marik panting as he struggled to hold onto him, but Ryou couldn't care. "Get off me!"

"Keep him inside, damn it!" Ryou looked up at Bakura's shout, watching the thief stand in the middle of the green column, fingers tapping against his arm in a sure sign of agitation.

"Get off!"

"Ryou," Marik wheezed as Ryou's elbow hit his stomach, his hold loosening for a moment before it tightened again.

The British teen nearly screamed in frustration. He wanted to get out! He wanted to help Bakura. There had to be a way to save the trapped people, they just hadn't thought of it yet.

The scent came back again, this time stronger. Ryou gagged as he struggled, hearing the screaming of the people increase before suddenly going silent. Even Bakura was staring blankly ahead. Which meant that it was too late.

The column disappeared, Bakura immediately falling to the ground. Ryou was out of Marik's hold in the next second, kneeling beside Bakura and holding his hand. Without prior instructions from his brain, his fingers sought out a pulse point, Ryou breathing a sigh of relief when he found it. Of course, that didn't mean that everything would be fine, but it was a spark of hope.

Ryou struggled to pick up Bakura, managing it after a while and staggering back into the house. He ignored Marik, heading for the thief's room. He would allow himself to think about what exactly had just happened in a minute. Right now, he just wanted to concentrate on getting Bakura to a place where he could be watched.

He placed Bakura on his bed, automatically tucking the thief in before he broke down, tears running down his face as he curled up on the bed, hugging Bakura to him. It just wasn't fair. Bakura had never killed anyone, ever. He was just trying to make a living, like everyone else in the world. Why had it chosen him above all people?

"Ryou?" He nearly growled at the sound of his name, pushing himself up into a sitting position and viciously wiping the tears away from his face. He didn't see the shocked look on Marik's face as he stormed out but he did hear the Egyptian scrambling to keep up with him. "Ryou, what are you doing?"

He turned around and grabbed Marik, struggling to keep himself in control. "I am going to get 'Kura back."

"How?"

"Yami probably knows how to, or he is going to find out. I'll go find him."

"Not with all this going on." Marik didn't flinch at the glare that Ryou sent him. "We're only safe inside."

"Yes. But as long as we stay inside nothing gets done." Ryou stormed up the stairs and to the still open door, still glaring at Marik. "And I want him back."

He walked out and slammed the door, leaving Marik behind. He knew that Marik would make sure that Bakura stayed alive while he was gone. Marik would take over checking on people and keeping panic from spreading. Ryou had other priorities at the moment. He had to get to Yugi's house before the next soul stealing, but he didn't know when that was taking place. Ryou walked quickly through the streets, heading for the one place that he knew he could get answers from.

* * *

Yugi gripped Yami's hand more tightly as they walked out of the alley they had been traveling down, the tension leaving Yami's body. Yugi looked back over his shoulder, closing his eyes for a brief moment before looking forward again. There had been bodies back there, people reduced to a coma-like state. It had even come here.

He started out of his thoughts when Yami kissed the back of his hand, Yugi smiling at the gesture. It was meant to reassure him, even with both of them jumpy. They both knew that something could happen at anytime, and they were still far from the game shop.

Yugi followed Yami at the slight tug of his hand, walking quickly through the nearly deserted streets. Only a few people were out this morning, more from the scare that the green light was causing than anything else. But there was one good thing that had come out of this.

Yugi smirked as he realized that Yami was glancing back at him from time to time. They had both needed that on some level, a physical reaffirmation of their love or just a way to give each other the support they needed. Whatever it had been, it had been worth it. Even if he was still a little sore.

They turned down another street, Yugi feeling Yami pick up the pace. There was no way to tell when the green light would return, so it was better to move as fast as possible.

He looked over as Yami tensed, watching his guardian angel jerk suddenly before pulling him into a run. Yugi stumbled on the first step, recovering and keeping up with Yami. There were some stares from the people who were out, but most began shifting nervously.

Yugi knew better than to question what was going on. Yami was bound to be more sensitive to things that were not from earth because of what had happened to him. It was not that hard to assume that Yami could sense the green light moments before it happened. Which was why they were both running for cover.

He jumped as the first column appeared, biting his lip at the screams that started and the panic that followed. It was different in Domino, in the main part of the city.

Instead of reacting by running for cover, people just panicked. They ran all over the place, sometimes even shoving people out into the open instead of hauling them back in. Yugi thought it was sad how different the two places were, the thought torn out of his head in the next minute as Yami pulled him to a faster pace. "Keep running, aibou. We've got to find cover!"

Yugi gave a nod, not sure if Yami saw it. He scanned around for someplace to hide, his stomach twisting as he realized that there was no place that didn't have people fighting over it. And, with both of them being so short, there was no way that they would win. Yugi swallowed nervously and kept looking, he refused to give up hope so easily. His eyes darted to the road ahead of them, deserted of cars which allowed them to move faster, away from the sidewalks that were clogged with people and the green light. Yugi gulped and turned back to look forward, hoping for something that would save him.

Instead he saw a flicker of green across the pavement, his heart beating in double time as he realized what would happen. The green light would take Yami before they even reached safety. It could move faster than they could run.

Yugi looked to the side and saw one of the crystals tucked in a gutter ahead of them. That's where it would come from, when it decided to strike. It would hit Yami before either of them had the chance to blink and then Yami would be gone, just another body on the ground.

But he couldn't let that happen. Yugi shook his head, tears beginning to run down his face. He couldn't lose Yami like that again. Not after being able to finally hold him close again, not after all they had done. Especially not after last night.

Yugi ducked his head, his eyes focusing on the green crystal. Part of himself hated himself for what he was thinking, but he was more focused on the memory of a conversation, staring at the glowing crystal.

"_Why did you do that?"_

"_I will always save you, Yugi. No matter what."_

"_But who will save you?"_

"_You'll always save me, Yugi. That's why you're my aibou."_

They were _partners_ which was why…which was why…

He saw the crystal flare through his tear filled eyes, holding back a sob as he lunged forward, pushing Yami out of the way. He swallowed his tears in the next instant. He had to be strong, for Yami's sake.

All for his wonderful angel.

* * *

Yami yelped as he was shoved forward, hitting the ground and rolling. He came to a stop looking in the direction that he had Yugi had been running, aware of some blood running down his arm from a few cuts. He groaned and propped himself up, aware that Yugi wasn't holding his hand anymore. "Yugi?"

"I'm…okay, Yami." He froze at the pause in the words and at the barely restrained tears he heard behind them. Yami slowly pushed himself upright, hearing Yugi sniff before giving a long sigh. "I'm fine."

But Yugi still didn't sound fine. Yami stood partially up, turning to look over his shoulder at where he assumed Yugi would be. And what he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Yugi was standing in one of the green columns of light, his palms pressed against the surface. There were tears running down his face and a smile on his lips, a faint one that seemed to take a lot of effort to keep up.

Yami gave a strangled cry and rushed over to stand by Yugi. If he was in there, then that meant…and they still hadn't found a way out…

And it was all his fault.

He should have listened to Yugi. Yugi was right about his greatest crime being against heaven, stealing his life back when he was dead. He should have known that he would be the biggest draw for these things. And he had still insisted on going out.

And Yugi…and Yugi…

"Aibou." His voice cracked over the word as he took the last step over, watching his hand tremble as he moved it to rest on the column of light. He saw Yugi's smile waver before the teenager placed his hand where Yami's rested on his side of the column. "Why?"

"I can't let you."

"Aibou, we don't know where the souls go!"

"You've done so much already Yami." Yugi shook his head, raising his other hand to wipe the tears from his face. "It doesn't need you, so I'll let it take me instead."

"No!"

"I love you."

"No, Yugi!" Yami felt himself being pushed back, gasping as he fell onto his back. He winced at the pain, scrambling back up in the next moment.

He couldn't do anything but watch as Yugi suddenly stiffened, his hand falling away from the column as he closed his eyes. Then, the green light was gone, the screams that had echoed in the background disappearing as well, Yami not really noticing the silence. He was too busy watching Yugi fall to the ground, crumpling as he lost his support.

And, for the longest time, Yami could do nothing but sit there and stare. He couldn't even gather a single thought as he stared at where Yugi had fallen on the pavement. He was partially aware of the people cautiously shuffling out of stores and homes to look at the bodies that were sprawled around them, some giving loud wails as they discovered a member of their family or someone close to them had been taken.

Yami finally found the strength to move, crawling the short distance between him and Yugi. He hesitated for a moment before resting his hand on Yugi's shoulder and giving it a gently shake. "Aibou?"

There was no response. Yami felt a shiver run through him, swallowing harshly before giving Yugi another shake. "Come on, aibou, look at me. I want to see those beautiful eyes of yours."

He leaned forward, reaching for Yugi's pulse point, resting his fingertips against the skin and waiting. Yami bit his lip to keep from panicking, closing his eyes and waiting for something. He pitched forward when he felt the faint pulse, catching himself before he could fall on Yugi. He stared down at his lover, slowly sitting back up. He recognized all the symptoms. He _knew_ what had happened. He just didn't want to admit it, didn't want to think it was possible.

Because it couldn't be. Not Yugi. Not his aibou.

Yami gulped, feeling tears come to his eyes as he looked at Yugi, not liking the stillness in the usually exuberant teen. He shifted, freeing one hand to gently cup Yugi's cheek, rubbing his thumb against the soft skin. "Aibou…"

He broke then, pulling Yugi up onto his lap and cradling him close. Tears ran down his face, his whole body shaking as he sobbed.

This wasn't right. It couldn't be right. What kind of world allowed this to just _happen_?

Especially to Yugi.

"Aibou…Yugi…Please, come back." There was no response from the body he held in his arms. Yami shuddered, ducking his head to hide it in Yugi's hair. "It's all my fault, aibou."

_All my fault. All my fault._ The thoughts raced endlessly around in his mind.

_It should have been me. It should have been me._ "It should have been me!"

Yami didn't realize that he had screamed out the last part, his words lost to the wails of the other people, just another person who had lost someone dear. Another mourning, unimportant in the large scale of things.

He took a shaky breath, rocking Yugi gently in his arms. Yami shook his head, taking a deep breath as he moved to press a kiss to Yugi's cheek. "Yugi, aibou…I…oh aibou. Please come back. I'm…I'm…

"I'm not worth this."

_

* * *

*hides*_

_Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Ten**

He was barely aware of the tears that were still rolling down his cheeks, just of the weight that he carried in his arms. Yami glanced down at Yugi before shifting the body in his arms, automatically taking the route to the game shop. He didn't look up at the houses he was passing, staring at his precious burden.

He didn't know how long he had sobbed on the ground before he had forced himself to move. There would be another one of those soul takings eventually, and he would not waste Yugi's sacrifice. So he had picked Yugi up and begun walking, half of him not caring if his own soul was stolen.

Yami looked up as he came to a stop, realizing that he had reached the game shop. He took a shaky breath before walking around to the side entrance into the house, aware that the shop was closed. He shifted Yugi so that he could knock on the door, wincing at the sound of excited voices.

Of course they would be happy that Yugi was back, because they didn't know.

Yami dropped his eyes to the ground, listening as the door opened and hearing Solomon's excited voice. "I though you would have the sense to stay, Yugi, but I'm glad…"

He flinched as Solomon trailed off, feeling the elderly man's gaze on him. Yami felt his throat constrict as he heard the voices of Yugi's friends calling out from the living room, all asking if it was Yugi. He swallowed and forced himself to look up at Solomon. "I…"

"Come in." Solomon stepped aside, resting a hand on Yami's shoulder briefly. "Take him up to his room."

Yami gave a curt nod and shuffled into the house, feeling his control starting to break. He hurried his step, fixing his gaze on the ground as he passed through the living room. He flinched at the exclamations that were cut off as they realized what had happened. Yami only looked up once, at the base of the stairs and found himself looking at Dartz.

The angel had his mouth open in shock, staring at the body that Yami held in his arms. Dartz shook his head, looking up at Yami as if demanding an explanation. Yami opened his mouth to speak, only then realizing that the others were staring at him as well. He shut his mouth and ran up the stairs, feeling stares from the accusing eyes on his back.

He stumbled up the stairs, immediately running for the room that he and Yugi shared, setting Yugi carefully on the bed before slamming the door shut. Yami leaned back against the door, panting as he looked back at the bed; sliding down to the floor the longer he stared. He finally sat on the floor, sobbing into his knees.

He allowed himself a moment of this before crawling back to the bed, carefully getting onto it and curling around Yugi. He wanted to shut out the world for a bit longer, just ignore everything but his fragmenting heart.

The world had taken Yugi from him, so he would ignore it.

* * *

Ryou leaned against the door to the game shop, gasping for breath before knocking. He slumped against the building when there was no immediate answer. He turned to look at the street before turning away with a wince.

Bodies were splayed out everywhere, left to sit out as people in fear. At least the streets and sidewalks were clear where he had come from.

Ryou was started out of his contemplation as Yugi's grandfather opened the door, the elderly man looking close to tears. Ryou shifted nervously before opening his mouth to speak, all his earlier rage abated.

"They're upstairs." Solomon stepped aside to let him in, Ryou giving a nod of thanks before walking in. He gave a passing wave at Tomoya before jogging up the stairs, his heart beating quickly. The small gathering downstairs had looked completely shattered. Ryou suddenly wanted to turn away, not sure that he really wanted to know what was going on.

He came to a stop outside of Yugi's door, hesitating before carefully opening the door. Ryou peeked in, sucking in a surprised breath as he saw the two on the bed. For a moment, everything looked normal, but then Ryou remembered the looks on the people downstairs. He swallowed nervously before entering the room.

There was movement from the bed, Yami looking up. Ryou paused at the look in his big brother's face and the tear tracks that were visible on Yami's face. Ryou quickly crossed the room, kneeling beside the bed. "Yami?"

The teenager shuddered at his name, ducking back down so he could curl around Yugi again. "Go away, Ryou."

"Yami, what happened?"

"Ryou…please." The pleading tone of voice made Ryou pause, part of him thinking that he had imagined the hitch in Yami's voice.

With a shaking hand, Ryou reached out to check Yugi's pulse, stopped halfway through the motion as Yami spoke again. "He's not there anymore. My aibou…he's gone."

That was impossible. "Yugi hasn't done anything that would attract those things!"

"I have." Yami's voice was quiet. "I stole from heaven and it was supposed to be me. And he…he…"

Ryou sat back, his eyes wide as Yami broke in front of him, clinging to Yugi. He would have done the same for Bakura, he knew that. But, still…Why was the world making Yami and Yugi suffer?

The British teen slumped where he sat, drawing his knees up to his chest and mourning silently with Yami. They had both been through so much, done so much. Why couldn't heaven seem to cut them a break? Ryou shivered, giving his head a slow shake.

He could hear people cautiously making their way up the stairs, looking up at the same time as Yami. They exchanged a look before Ryou walked over to the door and locked it, returning to his place on the floor. Yami watched him, looking he was trying to figure out something. "Bakura?"

Ryou gave a shake of his head, clearing his throat before he spoke, his voice still cracking. "Same."

"Ryou…" There was really nothing else to say, the two of them silently agreeing to wallow in their sorrow. Someone else could save the world this time. They had been used too many times.

* * *

Yugi woke up slowly, pushing off from the ground and blinking. It looked like it was just before dawn, the things around him rendered in gray. But it wasn't right. Yugi sat up, rubbing his forehead with a groan. The last thing he remembered was saving Yami from having his soul taken.

He blinked and gave where he was another look around, sighing before standing. At least he knew where the souls went now, not that it helped any. It still left him stranded with no way of talking to Yami. No way to tell him that he was safe.

Yugi rubbed his hands over his face before beginning to walk, quickly discovering that there was no scenery and everything looked the same. So there was no way out that he could see. Yugi shook his head, stopping long enough to take a short break. It was only the then that he realized that there were other shapes moving through the grayness.

He stood completely still as the shapes glided past, the shapes becoming more distinct the longer he stood there. Yugi took a shaky step back, staring at the people who just seemed to drift right by him. He jumped at the sound of yelling, turning to see two of the people fighting each other. Yugi scrambled backwards, eyes wide as more shaped gathered at the sound.

Something grabbed his shoulder and hauled him backwards, Yugi yelping as he was dragged away from the gathering crowd. He struggled in the person's grip, hearing a grunt as one of his blows connected. He was quickly hauled around, getting a glimpse of familiar russet eyes and white hair before he was thrown on the ground.

Bakura glared at him, rubbing his side before flopping on the ground beside Yugi. "Some thanks for getting you away from that. A shrimp like you would have been crushed."

Yugi scowled at the shrimp comment, shifting so he could glance over his shoulder at the fight before looking back at the thief noticing that Bakura had gained a few bruises, if souls could bruise.

"Happens all the time." Bakura leaned back on his hands. "Establishing some sort of pecking order. I try and stay out of it." The thief gave him a long stare. "I assume that it is a mistake that you are here."

"Couldn't let it get Yami. He's the only one who can figure this out."

"Smart." Bakura grinned and leaned back. "So the plan for now is waiting?"

Yugi nodded, glancing around at the grey world they were trapped in. He saw Bakura following his gaze before the thief stood up and stretched. "I'm not sticking close to _that_ not with you around. The Pharaoh would kill me if something happened to you."

Yugi got up as well, shifting closer to Bakura as the fight began to break up. Bakura took one glance at them before hurrying Yugi along. It would be smart to avoid any harm; Yugi wasn't sure whether it would affect his body or not. And he really didn't want to put that theory to the test.

* * *

Tomoya stared at the people who were sprawled in the hallway, silently fuming. It was better than the horrible shock and fear, so much better than feeling like you were unable to react. He shot a glare at the door, angry at one of the people hiding behind it.

Yami had said that he would protect Yugi. Tomoya had trusted Yami to take care of Yugi. He had let down Joey, Tèa and Tristan as well. It was what they had expected of Yami. Just like the opposite was true, but it was somehow worse that it was Yugi.

He sat down beside Tristan only because the brunette was closer to the door, all of them completely lost in their own worlds. He traced patterns in the carpet as he stared at the white door in the dim hope that it would open.

It just wasn't fair because he had just gotten Yugi back. Things were just beginning to go back to normal. No more of the nearly blinding depression that had held him in still for all those years. He was starting to feel almost normal again, and it just wasn't fair.

And it was all Atemu Seti's fault.

If he had just been able to…then Yugi would still be here. And everything would be alright.

Right?

Tomoya sighed heavily, three other sighs coinciding with his own. He wasn't sure that the others were thinking the same thing that he was, but he was sure that they were all remembering the way Yugi had just lay limply in Yami's arms, not moving. Not waking up. Gone completely.

And he didn't want to drown in depression again. He had gotten a taste of his old life with the new spice of more friends. He didn't want to stand there and watch them drift away and leave him alone.

He felt something brush over his shoulder, almost like a touch but too light to be one. Tomoya glanced over his shoulder, knowing that the person who was there couldn't be seen by him. At least he had his guardian angel, so he wouldn't be alone anymore. That was almost a relief.

Tomoya stood up and wandered back downstairs, noticing that the adults were still in the living room. He shifted nervously before walking down the stairs into the deserted game shop, sitting down behind the counter. Right now, he wanted a place to hide from everyone.

"Is there a way to bring him back? The news says that they are all in comas." Tomoya looked around hopefully, trying to guess at where his guardian angel was.

"It's not a coma." The soft whisper came from his left, signaling that his angel was sitting right beside him. Tomoya shifted so he was facing the angel, pulling in his arms and legs to prevent himself from splaying them out through the angel. "It is much more than that."

He shivered at the tone employed. "What?"

The angel was silent for a long while, Tomoya almost afraid that it had left him. Finally, it spoke again. "He no longer has a soul. It's been taken somewhere, with the rest of the people out there. But his must have been an accident."

"It's all Atemu's fault." Tomoya growled out the words, letting his head fall forward. He took a couple of deep breaths before looking back up. "Is there any way to get it back?"

"Not that I know of." The angel paused for a moment. "But I will find out. Just stay here for a while. I will let you know when I return."

Tomoya gave a thankful smile before returning upstairs.

* * *

Dartz flew as quickly as he could towards heaven, his throat aching from his talking with Tomoya. From the boy's leaning towards him when he talked, his shouting must equate to a whisper. Dartz coughed at the dry feeling in his throat, knowing that he would sound odd.

He pushed through the clouds, looking around as he landed. There were worried mutters from the angels around him, Dartz spotting a group of other guardian angels talking by the gate. He shrugged to himself, pushing through the crowd to where he saw the leaders of the angels, sighing in relief when he spotted Isis.

The female angel turned to him, tipping her head to the side as he motioned her away from the rest. Dartz stood by a spire of clouds, waiting for Isis to make her apologies and walk over to him.

He swallowed nervously as she folded her arms, her hands disappearing in the folds of her robes. Isis stared at him for a long time before nodding her head for him to speak. Dartz twitched nervously before beginning to walk, Isis following without hesitation. "About the thing on earth."

Isis raised an eyebrow at the hoarse quality of his voice before sighing. "We know what it is, where the souls are going and what the will be used for but we do not know who summoned it or how we are going to get those souls back."

"So…the souls can be retrieved!"

Isis nodded, taking the lead in their walk and leading Dartz to where the book was stored. They remained silent until they reached that spot, both of them lost in their thoughts and wanting to get away from angels who could overhear them.

Dartz gave a long sigh of relief, glad that he could retrieve Yugi's soul after such a mistake. But, what confused him the most, was why Yugi would have been targeted in the first place as the crystals would only take those who had no chance of getting into heaven. Yugi was sure to get into heaven.

Isis leaned against the podium the book was on, rubbing her forehead. "The crystals themselves are made out of Orichalcum; it's a type of crystal that is attracted to the evil in people." She added the second part at Dartz's look of confusion. "They were originally used to collect souls to bring forth a demon. If it gets enough, it can rise again."

"How do we stop it?"

"In all realms, when demons were created and sealed, there is a sword that holds the realm shut. Remove the sword and the realm is opened. The demon often manifests when this happens, but it is usually too weak to do much." Isis tapped the cover of the book, looking up when Dartz cleared his throat to speak.

"I thought that you said that you didn't know how you were going to get those souls back."

"It's just a bit more complicated." Isis gave a strained smile. "We have to send an angel."

"I volunteer."

"And I insist that you take a partner or two." Isis gave a shake of her head at his shocked expression. "It's not that I don't trust you. These things are usually handled better in groups. The souls there tend to become very violent, exposed to others as horrible as they are."

"Alright." Dartz leaned on the book as well, biting his lip as Isis moved away, the female pacing. He turned abruptly as an angel came to mind, the move opening the book to the page that showed the angel he was thinking of. "Atemu! He could help me. His charge, Yugi, was caught someone and had his soul stolen."

"Yugi, but…" Isis' eyes widened for a moment before she nodded, her blue eyes darkening. "Atemu will be the best choice if that has happened. Perhaps I could talk to Ryou…"

Dartz gave a nod, turning around. He intended to tell her that he would talk to Atemu about this, maybe giving the poor teenager a bit of relief from his worry. The words died on his tongue as he spotted the page the book was open too, his eyes reading what was written without his permission.

There, before his eyes, was a summary of all the crimes that Atemu had committed in his life, one even crossed out but still visible. _Kidnapping of Yugi Mutou._

Dartz was about to tear his eyes away before he caught something else, staring at the last thing that was written there. _Stole watch and restarted life-transferred to list of damned. Sentence rescinded._

He took a step back, looking between Isis and the book, his mouth open in shock. The list of crimes, no matter how petty they were, was startling. And Isis had made this person a guardian angel?! This person was allowed to live while he had to die. He had worked hard all his life to contribute to the world and stray away from things that would burden his soul. And Atemu got to live.

"What?" The word was rasped out, Dartz glaring at Isis. The female angel didn't respond, staring at the page before shrugging.

"He's the best we have out there."

"I refuse to believe that."

Isis shook her head, walking over to close the book, Dartz stopping her from doing so. The woman glared at him, moving his hands off the book. "It's true."

"What is he even doing up here?" Dartz hissed out the words, jabbing his finger at one section of the book. "He was sent to hell. He stole from you…what could he possibly steal?"

"A watch."

"A…watch?" Suddenly, Atemu's crime didn't seem that bad. He took a step back, feeling foolish for getting angry over something so stupid. And it worried him that the angels would send someone to hell for something as small as that.

He looked up at Isis, waiting for her to explain further. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "The watch is a measure of a person's life. Once it stops, your life is over."

Dartz's anger flooded back, easily connecting the rest of the story. "So you rewarded him for restarting his life?"

"There's more to it!"

Dartz shook his head, not wanting to listen. He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh before glaring at Isis. "I will work with him on this demon thing and that is it. I do not know why you rewarded him or gave him Yugi Mutou as his charge, but I don't care."

He turned on his heel and stormed back to the nearest drop off, taking to the air before Isis could talk to him. He hovered for a moment before diving back towards earth, narrowing his eyes. Dartz wanted to talk to Atemu, get rid of his mistake quickly and then break off all communication with the teen. Maybe he could even get the other angels to remove Atemu from his position.

It was for Yugi's sake.

After all, it had to be Atemu's fault that Yugi was soulless. It was too far of a stretch to believe that Atemu had tried to save his own life by using Yugi as a barrier. He was just pretending to be interested in the poor teen so he could stay on earth and stay alive. It was horrible.

Atemu deserved to be with the rest of them, feeding that demon. Dartz no longer cared how young the teenager had died, Atemu was just like the people in the street the day he had been shot, fighting for what he wanted above all else.

It was time to put an end to this.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Eleven**

Yami sat up, not aware of how much time had passed since Ryou had come into the room. He sat up, pulling Yugi against him and hugging his lover close, hoping that Yugi would have come back while he was asleep. Yami sighed when there was no response. Out of tears to cry as he kissed Yugi's forehead before laying him down on the bed.

He moved to the edge of the bed, sitting on the edge and looking over to where Ryou had moved, the British teen no longer sitting on the ground. Ryou was leaning against the closet that was across from the foot of the bed, looking up as Yami moved. Yami was sure that his eyes carried the same dead look that Ryou's had, two people pushed beyond their limit and discovering that there was nothing on the other side.

Yami rubbed his hands over his face, getting glimpses of the locked door that they had hidden themselves behind through his fingers. He sighed again, not wanting to face the world again. But Yugi's friends would probably be worried and want to see him. He ran a hand through his hair, automatically fixing the disarray it had fallen into.

Almost as one, Yami and Ryou slumped again, giving into the urge to just refuse any inclination towards life. They exchanged another glance, Yami looking back at Yugi before standing up. As Ryou's big brother, he would have to encourage the British teen to at least eat something; which meant that he would at least have to make an effort.

Reluctantly, Yami gave Yugi a fleeting kiss on the forehead, wanting to take some more time with his aibou, even if Yugi wasn't there. He rested their foreheads against each other for a moment before brushing a stray bang out of Yugi's face. "I'll be back, aibou. Don't worry."

He turned around, catching the scent of lotus and honey before Dartz pushed through the wall of the house looking murderous. Yami sighed, not wanting to explain how Tomoya got hurt under his watch. He would work his way through apologies later, right now he just wanted to keep Ryou healthy and get something for Yugi so he didn't waste away. Without thinking, he turned to speak to Yugi, the habit too ingrained to break. "We'll bring you something to eat, aibou."

"Why do you pretend to care?"

Yami was taken aback by Dartz's question, staring at the man for a long while before finally finding his voice to speak. "What?"

"Why do you pretend to care about him?" Dartz moved from his place just in front of the wall, walking over until he was standing right in front of Yami. "I figured out why you are still alive. You stole that watch and started over again, didn't you? Where is it?"

"The…watch…" Yami stared at him, a bit flustered by the fact that Dartz knew all of this. Where had he gotten the information from, because Isis would not have explained it without his knowledge?

"Yes. The watch keeping you alive." Yami took a step back and Dartz moved forward, catching himself before he could fall over Yugi. "You don't deserve this life. Not after what you did to him?"

"What I…" Yami's brain was refusing to function, too dulled down by what had happened to Yugi.

"You used him as a shield. You let his soul be taken instead of yours."

Yami's eyes widened at the accusation, staring at Dartz with his mouth falling open.

"_I can't let you."_

"_You've done so much already Yami. It doesn't need you, so I'll let it take me instead."_

"_I love you."_

Before he knew what he was doing, Yami had grabbed Dartz and shoved him against the wall, the angel suddenly solid enough for him to do that. Yami didn't really care about the why at the moment; he just wanted to kill the man who had accused him of not caring about Yugi. "You know _nothing_."

"I know enough, Atemu." Yami flinched at the use of his real name, his mind going back to Noa. "You are only doing this to stay down here."

"No." He slammed Dartz back against the wall, enjoying the sound of the angel's head hitting it. "I've given up my life for him twice before and I would have again. Now, stop talking about things you know nothing about."

Yami let him drop, striding over to Ryou and pulling him up. "Come on, Ryou, we've got to feed you and make sure that Yugi is taken care of."

"Why?" Yami glared at Dartz as the man stood up. "I'm sure that they'll be another angel assigned to him in no time. And then you can go back to hell."

Yami froze at the mention of hell, one hand rising to clutch at the watch that wasn't there as his mind pushing the memories of his short time there to the forefront of his mind. He closed his eyes at the memory of burning red eyes, flickering flames and the taunting laugh. You can never go back. You can never go back.

He opened his eyes and turned around, walking between Yugi and Dartz. "I won't let you take him away from me. The last person who tried is dead."

"You killed him, I'm guessing."

Yami didn't say anything, tensing in his spot and narrowing his eyes. Dartz could assume whatever he wanted; Yami had ceased to care about what other people thought. "Leave now."

Dartz crossed his arms. "No."

"I told you to-"

"Atemu!" Yami turned his head at Isis' voice, watching as Ryou picked himself up from the floor. The three stared at the angel, Isis looking exhausted as she stood on the floor of the room. The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before walking towards them. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"What?" The word was snapped out, Yami not caring that Isis had nothing to do with the prior argument.

"I know how to get their souls back. But I need someone I can trust." Yami perked up at this, his arms crossing over his chest. Isis took this as a signal to go ahead, nodding slowly. "I will send you three to the realm where the souls are, which is sealed by a sword. Open the realm and the souls will return but the demon will be released, weak but still out there. I think you can handle this one."

Yami gave a sharp nod. He had fought the devil and won, a lesser demon wouldn't be that hard at all. And it would get him Yugi back, anything to get his aibou back. He didn't even have to look over to Ryou to see the British teen's nod. They would both do it for the ones they loved.

"Dartz will-"

"No."

"Atemu."

"No." Yami glared at Dartz. "For all I know, he'll throw me into the realm after we are done. Not with him. Ryou and I can do this on our own."

"You have no choice, he is going too."

Yami rolled his eyes, his fingers fiddling with the bracelet he wore around his wrist. If Isis wouldn't let just the two of them go alone, he would accept Dartz. It got him Yugi back and that was the only important thing here. The world could go to hell for all he cared. "How are we doing this?"

"Your souls will be sent, and your bodies will remain behind. Just open the realm and I will worry about closing it. Defeat the demon and it will return to recover. Simple."

Yami nodded and strode over to the door, unlocking it quickly and glaring out into the hall. The opening of the door startled the four out in the hall, the teens getting to their feet and staring at him. Yami saw Tomoya get ready to speak, silencing him with a glare. "Watch over us, I'm going to get Yugi."

He saw three of the four faces brighten, not expecting Tomoya to look pleased and he wasn't disappointed. Yami shrugged and turned back to the room, crossing his arms and looking at Isis, aware that the others couldn't see her. "Ready."

There was a nod from Ryou, Yami watching as Dartz looked over at Tomoya before giving a nod himself. Isis closed her eyes and brushed her fingers over each of their foreheads.

Yami twitched as she touched him, feeling his body suddenly go cold and then he was flooded with the scent of lotus and honey. Yami fought the urge to throw up, managing to black out before he lost control of his gag reflex.

* * *

Tomoya stared as Atemu collapsed to the floor, glaring at the body before striding into the room and looking at Yugi. He had resisted the urge to kick Atemu's body as he had stepped over it, knowing that the others were still friends with the teenager. He still couldn't bring himself to trust Atemu entirely. He looked at his oldest friend, frowning as he realized almost how easily it would be to convince himself that Yugi was asleep. And it was all Atemu's fault. Tomoya scowled over his shoulder at the body of the teenager before storming out of the room, feeling Joey catch his arm as he went to leave.

"Where ya goin'?"

"To get something for Yugi and Ryou to eat. We need to keep their bodies in good condition for them to come back."

"Don't forget to grab somethin' for Yami. We'll get 'em set up."

Tomoya shook his head. "I'm not helping him."

"He's our friend!"

Tomoya was well aware of the stares on him as he shook his head. "Not mine. I'm sure that Yugi never told you who the original charges of his kidnapping were on and, for that reason, I can't trust Yami." Tomoya scowled at the body. "I don't even like him; Yugi could do so much better."

He turned around, heading for the kitchen to provide something easy to feed to Ryou and Yugi. Soup would be his best option. A hand on his shoulder stopped him, finding himself looking at Tèa.

The brunette smiled and followed him downstairs and into the kitchen, even reaching for the saucepan that was beyond his reach. Tomoya paused with a can of soup in his hand, thinking something over.

As much as Atemu made Yugi happy, he just couldn't stand to see the two together if this was the result. Yugi had already been through enough already and there would be no rest for his friend if he kept hanging out with people from that side of the city.

Tomoya set down the can and cleared his throat, getting Tèa's attention. The brunette girl looked over at him and sighed, leaning against the counter. "I'm not going to say anything."

"But, Tèa, Yami is bad for him."

"Not at all."

"I have known him longer than you have and-"

"That may be." Tèa interrupted him in a calm voice, something he had never expected her to do. "But Yugi has changed and this is who he is now."

"But it's not right for him!"

"He thinks it is." Tomoya caught the small sigh that Tèa gave. "And that is all that matters."

"Do you like him?"

Tèa stopped what she was doing, glancing at Tomoya out of the corner of her eye before nodding. The blonde teenager sighed, glad that she had not danced around the subject. She remained frozen in place for a moment before turning around to look at him. "But I'm not going to do anything."

"Why not?!"

"Because he's happy where he is." Tèa shot him a look over her shoulder. "I'm not going to interfere with that. I'll be his friend for as long as he wants me to, but I've never going to tell him that Yami is bad for him…because he isn't."

Tèa gave an unhelpful shrug before leaving the kitchen, Tomoya left to toy with the can of soup.

The ultimatum was there beneath the nice words. He had to get used to Atemu or leave the group, because the others couldn't see anything wrong with him. And there was a time where Tomoya had liked Atemu and he still did, but not with Yugi.

He stood up straighter with a sigh, beginning to go through the automatic motions of making soup. He still didn't know how to deal with the ultimatum, but he would deal with that later. If there even was a later in this.

Tomoya growled to himself, looking up towards Yugi's bedroom before cursing under his breath. "Damn it, Atemu."

* * *

Ryou opened his eyes; the first thing coming to his mind was the word grey. He pushed away from the ground, yelping at the heavy weight that was on his back. He glanced back, eyes widening at the white wings that came from his shoulders. Ryou looked for Yami, reaching out to shake his big brother awake.

Yami responded with a moan, getting up more smoothly than Ryou. He stared at his wrists for a moment before turning his head to look at his back, shaking his head before standing up, wings flaring for balance. He offered a hand to Ryou, both of them standing up and looking around.

The realm they were in was featureless, stretching out all around them. He turned on the spot, squinting into the distance. "How are we supposed to find anything here?"

Yami gave a shrug, walking forward a few steps before coming to a stop and tipping his head to the side. Ryou was about to ask what was going on when Yami began to move again, sometimes sliding around certain spots like he was avoiding things. "Watch out for the souls."

Ryou jumped at the warning, staring at the area around him and noticing that the souls were almost transparent. He shivered and began making his way through the crowd, jumping to the side at time to avoid walking through a soul. The light from Yami's halo was his guide.

"What about Dartz?"

"What about him?" The response was yelled back.

"We can't leave him!"

"Says who?"

"YAMI!" His big brother finally stopped, walking through the souls to get back to him. Yami crossed his arms, staring at where they had left Dartz before giving Ryou a nod, the impatient way he tapped his foot telling him that he didn't have much time.

The British teen knelt by Dartz, giving the angel a firm shake to wake up before stepping back. Dartz sat up, starting at the landscape around them. When he looked over at Ryou, the white haired teen just shrugged and walked back to Yami. He stopped long enough to be sure that Dartz was following him before being nudged back into motion by Yami. "Plan?"

"Find the sword, yank it out, and get home." Yami nearly shoved another soul out of his way, continuing to walk in one direction.

"Good." Both of them turned slightly at the sound of Dartz's voice. "Now, where would the sword be?"

Ryou shrugged as Yami closed his eyes, knowing what his big brother was trying to do. Back in Domino, they could sense these things easily, hyperaware because of their time in heaven. But now, he wasn't too sure. They were angels again.

Yami suddenly started, his eyes focusing on one place and squinting. Ryou turned his attention there too, blinking before turning to look behind them again. There was a definite change in the color of the grey, getting lighter in the direction that Yami was staring in. He gave Yami a smile before walking off, Yami following a second behind him.

"Wait." They both turned to look at Dartz again, Ryou noticing that Yami was close to lashing out at the man. "You are just going to trust that he is right."

"It's the best shot we've got."

"And you're just willing to trust him?" Ryou stared at Dartz, his mouth working as he tried to figure out a way to convey his surprise. He had never doubted Yami since the book incident, a time where he shouldn't have doubted Yami in the first place. He never had before and, after the pain of that time, he wasn't going to again.

"Yes." He scurried after Yami, getting a smile from his big brother before they both focused on the lighter bit off grey ahead. Dartz could follow if he wanted; he was getting tired of the other angel anyway. Even in the times that he hadn't been sure if he trusted Yami, he had still tried to work with him; because that's the way it was where they lived.

You were loyal to a group and, if the group sank, then you went down with them.

Ryou focused his gaze on the ground, automatically avoiding the souls that were floating around them. He saw Yami shift out of the corner of his eye, raising an eyebrow as Yami purposefully caught his eye. "Thanks."

And that single word was enough for Ryou. He smiled back at his big brother and focused on the route ahead of them. They were off to save Bakura.

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes, staring at the grey world around him, surprised that he had gotten so used to it in the…There was no way to measure time down here, so he didn't know how long he'd been here in the first place. Yugi flung an arm over his eyes and sighed, turning his head so he could see where Bakura was.

The thief had been leading him through his place for however long they had been here, keeping them both away from the frequent fights that broke out. And they were getting closer to them every time. Bakura had to even fight his way out of a group of people. Yugi was no match for the people who were trapped here.

He sat up, stretching out his back and giving the place another look around. Some part of his brain hoped that something would turn up, while most of his knew that nothing would. He had trapped himself here of his own volition, so he would have to get used to it. Yugi sighed and ran a hand through his hair, stopping to stare at it.

How long had it been for Yami?

Hours?

Weeks?

Months?

Years?

He really hoped that it hadn't been years because he had seen the look on Yami's face. His lover had been completely destroyed but his decision, but it was better than the alternative where nothing could have been done. Yugi gave a soft whimper, wrapping his arms around himself and ducking his head. He had hated to do that to Yami, knowing exactly how it would affect him. And it was killing him now, tears threatening to spill over because he missed Yami. He wanted to hold his guardian angel close and never let him go again. They hadn't had enough time together, the world seeming intent on ripping them apart.

Yugi looked over at Bakura one more time before wiping his eyes, not surprised to feel the start of tears there. He shook his head and looked back at the way they had come, or at least what he assumed the way they had come was.

He blinked as he saw something moving on the horizon, the three figures covering the distance quickly. Yugi blinked again, hoping that his eyes were not tricking him, a smile breaking out on his face when he was sure.

Yugi leaned down to shake Bakura, the thief glaring at him before sitting up himself. Yugi didn't trust his voice, so he just pointed, Bakura's jaw going slack as he stared at them. It couldn't be anyone else, because there was no one else that would be able to come for them.

Yugi stepped away from Bakura, watching as the figure in the lead picked up the pace, bursting nearly into a run as he came closer. Yugi broke into a run himself, his mouth forming a smile as he recognized the leader.

Yami. Yami had come to save him. Of course he would, they were partners. But Yami was here.

Some part of his mind nagged him that this was wrong, but Yugi wouldn't pay attention to it long enough. That Yami was here was the best thing, too good to be easily shot down by depressing thoughts.

Yami came to a stop, spreading his arms as Yugi rushed at him. Yugi reached out for Yami, his hand hovering just above the fabric of Yami's shirt. He was too ready to hold Yami again, too ready to feel his lover's arms around him. There he was safe.

He wrapped his arms around Yami's neck and took a step forward to press himself against Yami…

_

* * *

Evil cliffhanger. *hides*_

_Please read and review. Criticism is welcome._


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Twelve**

He wrapped his arms around Yami's neck and took a step forward to press himself against Yami, only to fall through him.

Yugi hit the ground with a grunt, hearing Yami turn swiftly. He rolled over onto his back, staring up at Yami with a hurt look on his face. What was going on?

Yami hesitated before reaching out a hand for Yami, whimpering as their hands passed right through each other. He lowered his hand, staring at it. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. There was supposed to be a big reunion scene where they both ran to each other. There would be a hug and maybe a long kiss. And laughter, lots of laughter because they were happy to have finally found each other. But this had none of that.

It only had disappointment; heartbreaking disappointment. They both needed to be able to touch the other to make sure that they were alright and to reassure themselves that this wasn't a dream. But even that was doomed to failure.

Yugi shook his head, looking up as Yami knelt close to him, hand inches away from touching him. So close and yet so far. Yugi trembled, biting his lip and looking at his lover, forcing a smile.

"Don't do that, aibou. Don't use that smile." Yami's voice broke a bit over the words, the teenager shifting to sit next to Yugi. Yugi nodded, knowing what Yami meant. That was the smile that could fool the whole world; except for his grandfather and Yami. Yugi sighed and went to lean against his guardian angel, remembering at the last minute that they couldn't touch.

At a loss about what to do, Yugi sat up again and looked at Yami, noticing for the first time the golden halo that hovered above his head and the wings that came from his back. Yugi's eyes widened, his fingers digging into the grey substance that served as ground here. There was a chance that Yami had just been sent here, but his mind refused to linger on that. It only kept repeating that Yami had gotten himself killed and returned here, all for him.

"It's not that aibou." Yami rested his hand over Yugi's, sighing as his hand sunk through Yugi's, but he didn't pull it back. "I promise you that it's not that."

Yugi blinked, not aware that he had been so easy to read. He flipped his hand over, watching as their fingers intertwined for a minute before Yami passed through him. They both stared at their hands with equal expressions of dismay. Yami swallowed before looking back up at Yugi. "We were sent to free all of you. I can promise that I will be able to go back."

He nodded and stood up, noticing that Ryou and Bakura stood a good distance apart, probably having learned that they couldn't touch from Yugi's failed attempt at a hug. He shuffled nervously before looking at the man who was glaring at Yami, wondering what he was doing with the rest of them.

Yami stood up and began walking again, Yugi jogging to stay by his side, aware of how the glare of the man intensified. He shot a look over his shoulder before edging closer to Yami, wondering what the problem was. "Who is he?"

"Tomoya's guardian angel. He was sent along with us to help." Yami gave a snort of disgust, looking over his shoulder. "Neither he or Tomoya are not inclined to like me right now. They think that all of this is my fault or that I'm using you."

"That was only once."

"I know, aibou, but they don't believe me." Yami glared at something just ahead of them, one of his hands curling into a fist. He finally shook his head, his hand absently reaching for Yugi's hand before letting his hand drift back to his side. "But it was all my fault."

"No."

"If I had listened to you, because you were right, then none of this would have happened. And you would be safe. I should have listened."

"No." Yami looked up at him, Yugi having reached up to shake Yami's shoulders only to remember that they couldn't touch. He growled to himself before making sure to keep eye contact with Yami. "It wasn't your fault. It was my choice."

"But-"

"No." Yugi ran a hand through his hair with a long sigh. "I _chose_ to do this so it isn't your fault. If you had listened to me, nothing would be happening; we wouldn't be close to getting out of here. It's better this way."

"Not at all."

Yugi gave a strained smile, wiping the expression off his face as he forced out a laugh. "That was the wrong phrasing, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah." Yami sighed, finally looking away to glance at where they were going. "It still doesn't stop me from regretting-"

"I don't think anything does." They two dropped into silence, Yugi looking down at where their hands nearly touched, wanting nothing more to hold hands with Yami, something he had taken for granted until now. He shook his head, trying to force himself to look away from what he couldn't have.

Wishing wouldn't get him anywhere.

* * *

Ryou glanced up at where Yami and Yugi walked ahead of them, trying to keep his gaze off Bakura, but failing. Slowly he turned to look at his lover, aware that Bakura had been looking at him the entire time. The thief gave him a quick look over, motioning with one hand as his back. "What's with the wings?"

Ryou shrugged. "I guess that this is how we see our souls. Technically, Yami and I are dead, so we see ourselves as angels."

"That makes no sense, Ryou."

"Some things in life just don't make sense." Ryou shook his head, rubbing his forehead before glancing back at his lover. "I don't really want to waste time thinking about it, I just want to get out of here and return things to normal."

"Why? I was getting too comfortable." Bakura smirked at him, obviously trying to get Ryou to react. The British teen smiled, the expression fading a moment later. His usual response wouldn't work this time. Usually he would reach out to hit Bakura, but his blow would pass right through.

Part of him was glad that it had been Yami and Yugi that had figured this out, not wanting to go through the heartbreak himself by not being able to touch Bakura and being the first to realize it. He sighed and shook his head. Although, it seemed more likely that one of them was going to break, the four of them were treading a fragile enough edge as it was.

He cast a glance back at Dartz before remembering that Bakura had spoken, looking back and finding that he was under the thief's scrutiny. Ryou just shook his head. "I enjoy that normalcy more than anything."

"Yeah." Bakura sighed, seeming to relax with the motion. "So do I."

They shared a smile, this quiet moment a rarity for them. As much as Ryou enjoyed these times of peace, he loved when Bakura was teasing him, trying to get a rise out of him that would end up in a scuffle. That was how they had existed for so long, even before Ryou had started liking Bakura, it just wasn't right if they couldn't continue to do that.

Neither one of them spoke after that, just focused on the false horizon that they were heading for, Ryou staring at his big brother and Yugi, watching the both of them slump as they talked about something. He turned his gaze away quickly, not wanting to get caught up in what those two were talking about. They deserved their privacy for this moment. They didn't get much of it anyway. Everyone in the world seemed determined to drag Yugi out into the spotlight, leaving Yami to stand in the shadows as he would. And still they would get no peace. Probably not until they both died.

Ryou shuddered at the thought, hoping that the higher powers hadn't noticed it. They had a horrible habit of doing things that would make the two of them miserable. Yugi and Yami deserved to live out their full lives together, if just for repayment for all that Yami had done and would continue to do. His big brother seemed to have become the favorite for doing all the jobs that the other angels would refuse to do or just seemed too dangerous

And he seemed to be dragged along too. But he didn't mind. He got to keep an eye on Yami.

What he did mind was the way that Bakura and Marik seemed to always be pulled into these things as well. Why couldn't they be left out?

"But, I almost would hate to go back to normal." Ryou jumped as Bakura spoke. The thief gave a shrug, making it seem like it was Ryou's fault that the British teen had jumped. "This is too much fun. Besides, what would I do with all my free time if I wasn't running after something?"

As much as Ryou hated to admit it, Bakura had a point. Life suddenly seemed more dull when he thought about it that way.

* * *

Dartz glared at his two 'partners', the two who were both against him. It had been a surprise that Ryou had appeared as an angel, but he had decided to ignore that. It wasn't important in the end. Ryou was on Atemu's side in this, both of them only talking to him when they had to. They were probably purposefully leaving him out of their conversation.

There was a perverse sense of joy from the fact that Atemu couldn't touch Yugi, physically separated from the teenager he was using to extend his life. Although, he was still forcing himself to ignore the way they both looked so shattered because of this. Atemu was just a good actor.

He could feel sorry for Yugi, hating that Atemu would continue to play with his emotions like this, even to the point of acting guilty. Yugi deserved so much better from his guardian angel and apparent boyfriend. The teenager had been through so much, if the things that Dartz had read in Tomoya's blue binder had been true. It would be an act of kindness to free him from Atemu.

But Dartz couldn't kill the teen, nor would he allow Tomoya to do it. He couldn't allow his charge to damn himself like that. So that left them waiting or finding places where Atemu would be in danger. He glared at the teenager's back, wishing that there was a way for him to get Yugi out of here while leaving Atemu here as well.

His thoughts were brought to a stop when he saw what they were looking for, staring at the mound that suddenly rose from the flat landscape. He walked faster to catch up with the rest of the group, his mouth dropping open at what he saw.

The mound was the coils of a beast, grey like the rest of the world around it. It lay completely still on the ground, a pulse of energy coming from it every once and a while. Dartz swallowed and edged closer to the rest of the group, gazing at the leviathan that he assumed was the demon they would have to face.

He thought that Isis had said that it wasn't at full power. It was huge!

He was so focused on the beast that he almost didn't notice the sword that was stabbed into one of its coils. Dartz glanced up at the sword, shivering as he realized what would have to be done.

One of them would have to go up there and pull it out. The beast's head wasn't tied down in any way. So if it woke up, then they would be doomed.

Dartz took a step back, beginning to shake as he realized the enormity of their task. There was no way he would be able to do that, not without making a mistake and waking up the creature. He gave a shudder and looked at the other four around him, knowing that he would prevent Yugi from doing it, but Atemu would probably put him forward to protect his own life…

"I'll do it."

* * *

"I'll do it." Yami opened his wings, giving Yugi a smile. He watched his lover shift before nodding, looking at the sword that seemed so far away. That was enough permission for Yami. He reached out to give Yugi a hug, stopping when he realized that they would just pass right through each other. There was a moment where they both looked down at the floor before Yami turned around. "I'll be back, promise."

He looked back at Dartz, noticing the confused look on the man's face. He told himself he didn't care, but there was some part of him that did. How could the man just assume that he wouldn't have gone to get the sword? Because that was obviously what he was thinking.

Yami looked over at Bakura, noticing the thief's thoughtful look. "Striking range?"

"Working on that." Bakura tipped his head to one side, wandering over a bit to his right before nodding. "I'll move them out of the way. Just don't wake the darn thing up, Pharaoh. I'm out of practice with this."

Yami rolled his eyes and threw Bakura a salute before pushing off the ground and flapping his wings. He rose awkwardly, never having flown during his existence as an angel. He remained far away from the beast, just flapping his wings and he got into the pattern. Once that was settled, he took a deep breath and flew towards the sword that was perched on top of the creature's coils.

He dove low over the creature, grabbing onto the hilt of the sword. He didn't want to land, partially afraid that the addition of weight would wake the creature. But, then again, the wind generated from his wings could do the same. Either way, he had to hurry.

Yami adjusted his hold on the sword, taking a deep breath before pulling back, gritting his teeth to keep any sound from escaping. He felt the sword give a bit before it caught on something, shaking his head before trying again. It moved by inches, Yami swallowing his nervousness as the creature began to move, twitching as the sword came loose.

His arms trembled as the sword finally slid loose, Yami nearly falling out of the air as it came free. He kept a hold of the hilt, staring at the creature that was writhing below him. Yami meant to fly away, but one of the creature's yellow eyes snapped open, rolling to find him in the air.

The creature laughed, speaking in a voice that reminded Yami of the devil. "**So you have freed me, little angel.**" The creature raised his head, taking a deep breath before seeming to panic. "**And too soon. I am not strong enough!**"

"That's the point."

The leviathan roared, writhing on the ground. Yami flinched, moving further away from the twisting creature.

"**I will not be defeated so easily!**" The creature reached up to snap at Yami, falling short. "**I will not allow myself to be sealed again, not after having a taste of these delicious souls provided for me by one of your own.**"

Yami almost dropped his sword at that, staring at the creature as it started to laugh. "**So he did not tell you how I came to be fed again. Why wouldn't he? He is right there.**"

Yami turned to look at the ground, easily picking out who the creature had gestured at. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Dartz, feeling his hands tighten around the sword he held.

Dartz had been the one to start all of this and then he had the gall to accuse him of being unworthy to watch over Yugi. Dartz had been the one who had caused all the chaos in _his_ part of Domino, putting people that he knew in danger. Dartz was the reason that Yugi had given up his soul for Yami.

All of this was Dartz's fault.

Yami shifted his hold on the sword, getting ready to throw it at Dartz. He was sure that he would be able to hit him from here, injure him if nothing else. Yami wasn't really sure that he could kill the angel, but he wanted to. He wanted to with all his heart.

"**That's it, little angel.**" Yami blinked at the creature spoke again, looking down at it as it began to adjust itself. He stared at the thing, his eyes jumping to the souls that were being pulled from the realm, passing around or through the leviathan as they were freed. Yami swallowed and looked up at the sword that he was holding.

What would happen to him if he did this? As much as he wanted to hurt the angel who had caused him all this pain, he hesitated. Dartz probably had more of the angels in heaven on his side, which meant that he could convince them that he wasn't fit to watch over Yugi, which was fine with him, he would still protect his aibou. But what worried him was what the angels would resort to. Would they be above making sure he died and went to hell to keep Yugi safe from him? He couldn't be sure, especially with his record.

Yami's arm trembled for a moment before he lowered it, glaring at Dartz before looking down at the creature, transferring its glare to it. "No."

The creature hissed. "**And you had such potential. You killed before and enjoyed it.**"

"That was different. That was a traitor." Yami didn't know why he was bothering to argue with the creature, but he found he had to justify himself. He had never thought of himself as a killer, Noa being the one exception.

"**No. Before that. The lackey that got between you and your precious Yugi.**" Yami froze as the creature laughed, now remembering the man he had pitched into the water, silencing him so that he couldn't tell Noa about his presence on the _Baroness_, for all the good that had done him.

"I didn't enjoy it."

"**Some part of you did.**" Yami glared at the creature, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes again. He was done trying to explain himself to this demon, just like he was done trying to win Dartz and Tomoya over to his side. He had tried, and that was all he could do. Even Yugi didn't hold it against him.

"Some part of me always will. But I'm not that." Yami glared at the demon, getting one heady second when the creature actually cowered for a moment before rising up.

"**You have released me into the world and, I assume, that you will try and send me back here. Seeing as heaven has chosen a champion, it is only fair for me to get the same courtesy.**"

Before Yami could protest he felt some force slammed into his back, sending him tumbling forward. He tightened his grip on the sword, hearing screams as other souls went tearing past him. He tried to hang onto something, feeling his fingers close over something before he was torn away again, a scream torn from his throat before he was flung out into the light.

He heard a clatter from beside him as he fell, grunting as he hit something solid without any give. He rolled across the surface, partially aware that he should have been in pain with the way his skin scraped across the surface, but there wasn't anything, which meant that he was still just a soul.

Yami groaned as he came to a stop, facedown wherever he was. He remained that way for a while before pushing himself upright, cautiously opening his eyes. He saw pavement beneath him, looking up quickly and recognizing the buildings as those from Domino.

He sat up quickly, blinking at the afternoon light, looking over at his side. His eyes widened at the sight of the sword by his side, staring at the gold hilt before slowly standing up. One hand went to pick up the sword, using it to help himself stand up.

Yami stared at the mostly deserted streets, his mouth falling open in shock as the bodies that littered the ground began to twitch, a few slowly standing up and looking around in confusion. They began to go about their business again, apparently not seeing him.

He rolled his eyes and stared down the road, trying to remember where he was. If he knew that, then he could run back to Yugi, because the teenager would be waking up. Hopefully, he would be able to return to his body. But why would he still have the sword?

Yami shook his head and began to walk away, intent on going to see Yugi again.

"**I wouldn't do that, little angel.**" Yami tensed at the sound of the demon's voice, refusing to turn around. His hand tightened where it held the sword, the only move he made was a slight turn of his head, showing that he was listening. "**You were chosen as the champion for heaven. You still have to try and banish me again.**"

Yami chuckled, shaking his head, preparing to turn around. "I've beaten things stronger than you. It shouldn't take me so long."

"**Ah, but I have a champion too. I could not possibly fight you as weak as I am.**"

He scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "This 'champion' shouldn't be too hard."

Yami turned around, his eyes widening as he saw who was standing before the creature, the sword that he held in his hand almost falling back to the ground as he started at the demon's champion.

"**Will it be so easy now, little angel?**"

_

* * *

*hides again*_

_Read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen**

Bakura coughed as he woke up, sitting up and realizing that he was in his own bed. The thief groaned, shaking his head to rid it of the faint buzzing before moving so he sat at the end of the bed, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes.

It was obvious that he was back, which meant that Yami had done whatever had needed to be done. So everything was back to normal. Then why did this feel so off?

He looked up as Marik suddenly came rushing in a smile breaking across his face before he stepped into the room. "You're back."

"Seems so." Bakura stand up, groaning as he stretched out his back, feeling where he was sore from falling to the ground when he had lost his soul.

"Ryou went to look for Yami, back in Domino. I haven't heard fro-"

"He's with Yami. I saw him." Marik blinked at him before accepting the statement, Bakura briefly wondering when they had gotten so used to this sort of thing. He shrugged before taking a step forward, wobbling a bit before he regained his balance. The thief shook his head before walking confidentially towards the stairs that led to the first floor of the house.

"Going to get him?"

Bakura nodded, stopping halfway in the stairwell to look back at Marik. "Any more of those incidents?"

The Egyptian leaned against the back of the sofa, sighing and giving a shrug. "There was one more but then they just stopped. In the middle of one too. I assume that is because this thing is finished."

Bakura shrugged, not really knowing how to answer that. If he was back, then that meant that the souls of the other people were back as well, but he wasn't sure about the crystals that had caused this. Would they just stay inactive until the demon was returned and the whole process would start over? Or would they just be washed back out with the next rain? The thief gave another shrug, Marik nodding with an equally confused look. He turned and headed up the stairs, resisting the urge to grumble to himself, Marik would give him grief for that. But he hated not knowing what was going on. Things usually got out of hand then.

He rushed through the living room and out into the street, barely looking at the people who gathered to move cautiously about, still whispering to each other. Bakura gave a nod to the few people that looked up, glad that it had not escalated into chaos.

The sight of something green trickling out of a crack made him stop, Bakura staring at the stream for a long while before he realized what it was. The crystals, whatever they were made of, were dissolving now that there was nothing for them to do, meaning that they wouldn't have to worry about the crystals anymore.

A smile broke across Bakura's face before he took off at a run, heading for the main city center of Domino. He would find Ryou and they would talk with Yami. Hopefully, things could be settled between the three of them for now.

And, although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he really wanted to hug Ryou.

* * *

"Hey, he's waking up!"

"Then why isn't Yugi?"

Ryou wondered why he was hearing voices, slowly opening his eyes before blinking. He saw vague shapes move backwards, giving him room to sit up. A second later, he recognized them as Yugi's friends, giving them all a confused wave before looking around the room. He could see the mound of covers from where Yugi was still resting, presumably soulless if the conversation he had heard while waking up was right. And, on the floor was…

"Yami?" Ryou scrambled over to his big brother, wincing at the way his crimson eyes stared up at the ceiling without blinking. Hesitantly, he closed the lids over them, breathing a sight\ of relief when nothing horrible happened. Apparently, Yami still wasn't back either. So he was probably fighting that demon.

The British teen groaned before getting to his feet, rubbing his neck. He would have to find Yami, which wouldn't be that hard considering that he was sure he would be able to see the demon.

"Hey, Ryou!" He turned at the sound of his name, nodding at Tomoya. The blonde teenager gave a wave of greeting before shifting nervously. "About Yugi-"

Ryou cut him off with a wave of his hand, memories of what had happened in that realm slowly filtering back. He blinked rapidly for a second before refocusing on Tomoya, a smile apologizing for his behavior before. "He'll be back. I might take some people longer or…something."

He rushed from the room before he could be called upon to explain what he meant by 'something'. His whole life had become that or something to him, strange events that he couldn't really explain. But he didn't really mind in the least. Or he didn't mind them when they were not trying to kill him.

He jogged down the stairs, catching a glimpse of the adults in the living room. Yugi's grandfather perked up, a smile crossing his face. Ryou didn't quite know what to make of that reaction. He wasn't sure whether to be glad that Solomon trusted him so much or be afraid. Ryou paused for a moment, hesitated before making a vague motion with his head. To his surprise, Solomon seemed to take that as a good sign. "Things under control now?"

Ryou gave a nervous laugh before giving a nod, not sure why he was answering. "It's getting there. Eventually."

He gave another nervous laugh before rushing out, leaving Solomon to explain to the others. And he would probably do a better job than Ryou. As much as it amazed the usually quiet teen, he was better at action than any other part of their activities. Another thing to just accept without question.

The door was flung open as Ryou stumbled out, the British teen pausing to look around. He was disappointed when nothing came into his line of vision. He spun on his heel, looking around him. He would have thought that the demon would be the first thing that he saw. But there was still nothing.

Ryou groaned before beginning to walk. There had to be a way to find that demon. He resisted the urge to close his eyes, not sure if people had decided to start driving again. But there had to be a scent that came with the demon or a sense of wrongness. Something because it wasn't of earth.

The same primordial scent slowly filtered through his senses. On instinct, he flinched back towards the nearest building, trying to get away. But the hated green light did not appear.

Ryou blinked before turning towards the smell. It was the only clue that he had, and he wanted to know why his big brother hadn't come back. He took a shuddering breath before breaking into a run towards the smell, one arm rising to cover his nose. Part of him was worried about running into the center of Domino, not familiar at all with the city, but there were other things to worry about.

Ryou stumbled around a corner, slamming into Bakura as he came racing around the same corner. The two hit the ground, Bakura ending up on the bottom as they rolled to a stop. The British teen groaned and pushed away from his lover, staring down at him with a growing sense of joy. Bakura was here and he was fine! The world was staring to go back to normal. He leaned down to hug Bakura, giving a relieved laugh as the held him close. He felt the faint rumble of a laugh from Bakura before it was smothered. Ryou was shoved away from Bakura as the thief tried to get up. "This is the only time you'll get me like this."

Ryou was still laughing, Bakura scrambling to pull him off. But Ryou wouldn't be so easily put off. He had wanted to do this for what seemed like forever and he would not be deterred. The thief gave a short struggle before giving up, allowing Ryou to hold him close for a second before a stronger shove encouraged Ryou to let go. "We have other things to worry about."

As much as Ryou wanted to ignore then, Bakura's insistence encouraged him to get up. He offered his hand to help the thief up, Bakura already having gotten to his feet. His hand was still grabbed, the thief pushing him ahead with the clear intention that Ryou should lead.

He hesitated for a moment before taking off in the direction that the scent came from, tensing as the screams started. Ryou blinked and looked out at the street, wondering what could be causing the sound. He looked for the green light that would indicate the beginning of stealing of souls.

A tap on his shoulder by Bakura stopped his search, drawing his attention to the thief. "Gone. They melted when the demon came out."

Ryou smiled before giving a nod, showing that he understood. He was about to speak when something caught his gaze coming into being above the city. His sure running steps slowed until he had stopped completely, his mouth open in shock.

The demon was wriggling gracefully in the air, twisting around its own coils as it looked down on the city through narrowed yellow eyes. It seemed to laugh at something before sinking below the buildings that blocked their line of sight.

Ryou cursed and took off again, nearly dragging Bakura after him as he ran towards where he had last seen the demon, knowing that there would be no route straight to be beast. It would be too helpful, which was the opposite of what the world was inclined to do.

All he could was hope that Yami could take care of it on his own long enough for them to get there and try to lend what help they could.

* * *

"**Will it be so easy now, little angel?**"

Yami felt himself begin to shiver, his throat going dry as he stared at the person he was to face. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. No, he wouldn't believe it. And yet, the evidence was right there.

The sword dropped from his hand, clattering onto the pavement. The demon jerked its head at the sound, leering down at him but not saying anything, just settling further onto the street behind the one that it had chosen for its champion. It was apparently waiting for Yami to attack, something that he couldn't bring himself to do.

He shook his head and backed away, refusing to look up from the ground. It was easier to stare at the pavement than to look at what was waiting for him. Yami heard the demon laugh, listening as it inched closer, scales scraping against the ground. "**You would give up this fight so easily, little angel?**"

"I…can't." Yami trembled as the demon laughed, flinching at the sound of metal moving against metal as the demon's champion moved forward. He wanted to take a step back, but he wasn't sure if that would be counted as a surrender, something that he couldn't do. But, at the same time, he couldn't fight. "Chose another."

"**But then it wouldn't be **_**my**_** champion, now would it?**" The leviathan chuckled, Yami almost able to see the smirk that the creature would have. "**No, this is the one you must face. And, if you don't do something soon, you will lose. I will be free to wander the earth. You can't want that.**"

Yami shuddered, finally looking up as the sound of the demon's champion stopped, his crimson eyes looking over the dark grey armor that the champion wore, barely glancing at the sword he held before looking at the champion's face. Yugi stared back at him through empty purple eyes.

He had to send the demon back; the angels demanded that he do that. The safety of Ryou and the others demand that as well. But he couldn't do that to Yugi. Not to his aibou.

Yami shook his head, his eyes widening as Yugi lunged forward, falling over. He grunted as he hit the ground, the sound more out of habit than any real force behind the impact. His gaze remained on the sword that was poised over where his heart would be, flickering up to Yugi's empty eyes from time to time.

His survival instinct raged in his head, telling him to get up, to act. To do anything but lie there. But, if he acted…And he didn't know what would happen to Yugi. It wasn't worth it to lose his aibou forever.

Nothing was worth that.

Yami's hand twitched at his side, inching towards his own weapon before it went still, the uncertainty keeping him from moving. He gave one last look at Yugi before turning his head to the side, not wanting to see those lifeless purple eyes that had once held such a brilliance. Yami stared into the nearest gutter and hoped that Yugi would strike soon.

"**No fight? Alright then.**" Yami heard the demon slithering around on the ground, sighing before closing his eyes. "**Strike!**"

It took all he had not to tense at the command, just letting the involuntary indrawn breath out in a long sigh. He was alright with this. He hadn't lived the life that he had wanted, but Yugi would still be alive. It wouldn't be the life that Yugi would want, but Yami couldn't bring himself to kill his lover.

"**I told you to strike!**"

He opened his eyes as he heard the clanking of metal plates against each other, turning his head to look up at Yugi in surprise.

The teen had frozen in place, shuddering violently as he remained poised over Yami. He thought he saw something flash in Yugi's eyes, some sign of life, but it was gone before he could properly think it over.

Yami hesitated a moment more before moving, taking the chance that was offered him to roll out of the way of Yugi's sword. His hand knocked against the hilt of the sword that he had dropped, fingers curling around it before he came up with it in guard position. He wouldn't kill Yugi, but that didn't mean that he would give up easily.

The demon hissed, staring at him before looking back at Yugi, its tongue flickering out at the creature thought. It was only a moment more before the leviathan started to laugh, its head thrown back. "**He's still loyal to you. After everything, he's still loyal to you. But that is easily taken care of. And you would never harm your precious aibou.**"

"Shut up!" Yami tightened his grip on the sword, wanting to do nothing more than run the demon through, but he doubted that Yugi would allow him to do that. Yami spared another glance at his lover before shaking his head. "I am no champion for heaven. I only did this to get him back. Let Yugi go and we'll fight each other."

The creature shook its head. "**As long as you are like that,**" it tipped its muzzle towards the halo and wings that were still on Yami, "**you fight for heaven, whether you want to or not. Now, face me and we will see who wins.**"

Yami shuddered a bit before nodding. Obviously, refusing would get him nowhere and Yugi couldn't possibly hold out against whatever control was being used against him. The teenager rolled his shoulders and focused on his lover, hating that they were facing each other like this.

Yugi charged forward, Yami dodging to one side and blocking the strike with his own sword. There was only a moment to recover before Yugi was charging him again. Almost frantically, Yami blocked the attacks, never making a move to attack himself. There were times when he would see an opening and something would encourage him to go for it, but he would always catch himself. He just couldn't bring himself to harm Yugi.

Yami grunted as a block forced him to nearly bend backwards, planting his feet so he couldn't be pushed back further. He shivered as Yugi leaned forward, not sure what the teenager was going to do. Of course, it could be something that the demon was making him do.

"You have to fight."

"What?" He almost didn't hear the whisper, staring into Yugi's eyes in hope that he was breaking out of the control. There were no hints, just the empty purple eyes staring back. But, to his relief the message was whispered again.

"You have to fight."

"But what about you?" Yami tried to push Yugi back, biting back a whimper as he was forced to bend even further back. "What will happen to you?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Yugi pulled away, Yami barely having time to raise his own blade to block the attack before he rushed away from Yugi, staring at the teen as he turned slowly.

"You have to attack." The sword almost fell from his hands again at that comment, his eyes going wide. He could have agreed to fighting Yugi. He could have agreed to disarming him. But he never would agree to attack him; it was the only thing that he could not promise.

Yami retreated again, shaking his head, watching as Yugi moved towards him again. The demon was hissing and twitching in the background, dissolving into fits of laughter over his situation. Yami spared a glance at the demon before facing his lover again, swallowing as Yugi charged, bringing their swords together again as they strained to gain the upper hand. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

"Yami…"

* * *

He wasn't getting through to him; Yugi could see that out of the small bit of consciousness he was allowed to cling to. He assumed that the demon did that to torture them further, allowing Yugi to resist at times before finally closing Yugi off; which would leave Yami believing that he was still fighting Yugi instead of the leviathan that was using his body.

Yugi forced himself to stare into Yami's eyes, ignoring the pull on his consciousness. The creature was trying to get back into control, something that he couldn't allow to happen. If full control was given over, then Yami would lose. He had to get through to Yami, even if just for a moment, because he knew he was right. Nothing could happen to him if he was defeated; he was just an unwilling pawn.

Yami had agreed to this. Even if he was the unofficial champion of heaven, it was also his life on the line. Yugi's body was merely a puppet on strings. The harm would go to the one pulling those strings instead of him.

It seemed that luck was finally on their side, if Yami would only attack.

Yugi grunted as he tried to keep their blades locked, fighting against the impulses to bring the blade down. He couldn't defeat Yami, not now. Yami still didn't understand.

"Yami…" He stepped away, panting for breath in the small space of time the demon allowed him before the hold clamped down again. From afar, he could hear the creature taunting Yami again, something that was slowly beginning to work. Between his fear for Yugi and the assumed hopelessness of the situation, Yami was giving up.

Yugi shifted, feeling the armor that weighed him down shift as well, his eyes unable to widen as he discovered a weak spot. When he held his sword out to the side, the rotation of his shoulder pulled the plating back, exposing a spot where the armor didn't quite fit. He smiled mentally, unable to do much more.

He could see victory, it was close now. Only a few more things to do and everything would be over with. But Yami would never…

But he could…

Yugi swallowed nervously, the action once again more mental than physical, before stepping forward. It hurt to attack Yami again, forcing him to defend himself, but it was the only way that this could end. He let the creature take most of his control away, faking a surrender and sitting back to wait for the right moment.

He focused on the clash of swords, not on what he was going to do. There had to be one time, one moment where this plan could work perfectly.

There! Yugi pushed the creature out of control, gasping out loud with the suddenness of it. But this wouldn't hold forever. Even now he could feel the creature scrambling at his conscious, trying to gain back the control that it had lost. Yugi forced it back even further, hoping that he could keep it at bay long enough.

He looked down where their swords were, Yugi smiling at the perfect positioning before looking up at Yami. His guardian angel was staring at him, crimson eyes wide. "Yugi?"

"Catch me."

"What?"

Yugi just smiled and moved his sword, no longer blocking the vunerable part of his armor. Yami, surprised by the sudden move stumbled forward, his sword point passing through the space between the plates. Yugi tipped his head back as his forward momentum allowed him to slide down the sword, his own weight forcing the sword deeper into his body.

"Yugi!" He opened his eyes, not aware that he had closed them, looking up at Yami with a smile. His guardian angel looked like he was close to crying, which confused Yugi. They had won, why would he be crying?

The creature was out off his head now, Yugi could hear it writhing and screaming on the ground as it was impaled as well, light coming from the demon to throw shadows on the pavement. He was free.

Yami moved, tearing the sword from him before holding him close, Yugi looking up at Yami's tearstained face. He frowned and reached up a hand to touch one cheek, aware that the armor was fading away from his body, leaving him in his normal clothes. But his entire focus was on Yami. Why was he crying?

Yugi had felt no pain from the sword on entry or exit and there was no wound, or at least not one that he could feel. It had been a fatal blow, if he had been alive, but there was no pain or fuzziness. He had never felt more alert than he did now.

He was pulled closer, Yami clinging to him like he was drowning, tears still coming. Yugi used his other hand to pat Yami's arm, intending to tell him that everything was alright and that he was fine, but he never got to. Annoyingly, he faded away before he could even speak.

_

* * *

Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen**

Dartz found that he couldn't leave the shadows, shocked by what was going on.

He had reappeared into this world not by his charge, but by Atemu, watching as the angel fought with the demon. No, fought with Yugi. Because of Atemu, Yugi had been left as a target for the demon. Not wanting to get caught up in this altercation, Dartz had stayed back. His desire to stay out of trouble was crumbled when Atemu ruthlessly stabbed Yugi. Of course that was one way of ending this, but it wasn't the right choice. There was always something else. But, apparently, Atemu didn't care.

Dartz growled to himself, storming out into the open to confront his fellow guardian angel. His angry walk slowed as he realized that something was happening to Yugi, reaching Atemu as the teenager disappeared in his guardian angel's arms. He expected any reaction from Atemu, any one but the one that he got.

Atemu slumped forward, one hand making its way shakily through his hair before dropping limply to his lap. There was absolute stillness after that one motion, Dartz shifting nervously as he stared at Atemu.

He would have expected anger that the chance to remain on earth had be thwarted or frustration that this whole affair happened. But not this. Not sorrow on this level. Not a complete breakdown.

Dartz had seen it in some of his friends when someone close died. They wouldn't cry, just shut down completely, living on automatic. It had scared him when they were like that, not sure whether to leave them alone or try to comfort them; the few times he had done the latter just ending up with them allowing Dartz to do as he wished. This was not the reaction of someone who was simply using a person to avoid their fate. It seemed genuine.

He had been wrong about Atemu then, completely wrong. Dartz shivered, wrapping his wings around him for the scarce comfort he could offer himself. Atemu had never used Yugi; it had been his jealousy that the teen got to live and the confusing events that _he_ had started that had skewed his view.

Dartz shook his head, mentally chastising himself for such behavior, before reaching down and resting a hand on Atemu's shoulder. He felt the teenager tense for a moment, hoping that Atemu would turn around and look at him. Instead, Atemu shifted slightly out of Dartz's reach, standing up slowly. "I hope you're happy."

He blinked rapidly. "What?"

"I hope you're happy now." Atemu refused to look at him, still staring at the ground. "You got what you wanted. Yugi is gone, which means that I am no longer his guardian angel. I can't hurt him anymore. I can't…"

Atemu shuddered, Dartz having to keep himself from reaching out to comfort the teen. It was obvious that Atemu didn't want it. The teenager would just keep the emotions bottled up inside until something had to give, something that Dartz had wanted to avoid.

"I'm sorry." The inadequate apology was met with a shrug by Atemu, Dartz rubbing the back of his head. There was really no way to say that he regretted all the things that he had done to cause this, all the conclusions that he had jumped to. And Atemu wouldn't listen to anything.

"Why did you do it?" The teenager twisted slightly so he could see Dartz out of the corner of his eye, Dartz freezing at the motion.

"I was scared. I saw what had happened to Tomoya and heard what had happened to you. And, after how I was killed, I was afraid that something like that would happen to my own family." There was no reaction from Atemu, just continued silence. "I had to do something. Don't you understand? I had to protect them, to keep them away from all the people that would harm them."

"That's impossible." Atemu shook his head, taking a step away and then pausing, looking like he was reluctant to leave that spot. Dartz remained still, keeping a distance between the two of them.

He didn't understand Atemu's logic there. He was a guardian angel and a father, it was his duty to protect the ones he loved above all else. It was not impossible to do so. He had done it and was still doing it. What was so impossible about his goal?

Atemu gave a short bark of laughter, the sound making Dartz shiver. That sound alone forced him to remember that this teenager had been through more than he had. Atemu's life had been anything but easy, and Dartz didn't even know the first thing about the true life of the other. "It's impossible to protect them from everyone, Dartz."

"I can still try."

"You can't. There will always be another. And, one day, you will find someone that you can't protect them from. All you will be able to do it watch." Atemu twitched before walking off, Dartz staring after him.

Of course he had always know that it was true, but he had consciously decided not to think about it. It was one of those things that he thought would never happen, that he would never get to see. But Atemu had reached that point today and it had broken him completely.

Dartz broke into a run, catching up to Atemu and spinning him around, shocked by the blank look in the teenager's crimson eyes. Atemu moved his shoulder out of Dartz's grip. "Leave me alone."

Dartz was almost tempted to do that, but he had to watch over Atemu, make sure that the teenager didn't do anything stupid while he was like this. Atemu stepped away, his wings brushing over Dartz's hand.

He stared at Atemu, realizing for the first time that he was still an angel. But Atemu was alive, which meant that he was still just a soul here. Dartz blinked, not sure if he should share this information with Atemu, possibly knowing that would make it worse. Atemu still had a way back while Yugi did not.

Dartz sighed and stepped away, finally listening to the teenager's request. He had promised Tomoya that he would be back and it wouldn't do to break that promise. Atemu would have to handle this on his own; Dartz was not here to babysit him. He spread his wings, flapping them to begin to fly away.

Soon Atemu was behind him as Dartz headed for the game shop, the man trying to forget about the teenager. Atemu had to hold himself together; Dartz was not entirely ready to part with his anger, even if it wasn't based on anything substantial.

Dartz pushed through the wall into the house, surprised to find that everyone had gathered back in the living room. He spotted Tomoya leaning against the back of the couch, listening to what Solomon was saying. Dartz sidled around everyone, reaching out to rest a hand on Tomoya's shoulder.

The blonde boy started but calmed himself, discretely looked over his shoulder before dropping his voice into a whisper. "Nothing from Yugi."

Dartz decided not to tell him about what had happened on the street just yet, wanting to give Tomoya time. He cleared his throat, already not looking forward to the soreness that would plague his throat for a few hours after they finished speaking. "Things have settled down. The cause of this has been taken care of."

"Not going to happen again?"

"No." Dartz gave a sure nod, not caring that Tomoya couldn't see him. He would never repeat this mistake, nor would he tell anyone else of it. He shifted and settled down to wait for something to happen; sure that Atemu would return soon.

* * *

Ryou rushed into the open space, coming to an abrupt halt that had Bakura running into him. He stumbled for a few steps before staring at the open space, the space completely clear of anything. The British teen blinked in confusion, beginning to turn a slow circle.

They had heard screaming and the sound of something large knocking against buildings, and there was the rubble to support that latter part. But the demon wasn't here anymore, which meant that Yami had sent it away. Then, where was Yami? Unless he had already returned to…

He almost missed him, his eyes sliding over the lone figure easily, like they didn't want to see him. Ryou shook his head before rushing over to Yami, Bakura nearly falling to the ground as he had been leaning on the British teen. But Ryou didn't hear Bakura's muttered curse or the grumbling of the thief, he was totally focused on the figure that stood partially in the shadows.

Yami was leaning against a building, his wings pulled close to his back with his forehead and one arm resting against the bricks of the building. Ryou took a hesitant step forward, stopping when he noticed the shudder that went through Yami's body, his eyes widening as he looked around for the one other person missing.

Yugi wasn't here either. Yugi hadn't returned to his body and Yugi wasn't here.

He didn't want to contemplate beyond that, instead moving forward to rest a hand against Yami's shoulder, some part of him not surprised that he passed right through. Still, his blunder made Yami look up at him.

Ryou flinched at the look on Yami's face, wanting to comfort his big brother in someway, but he knew that expression too well. Yami was already internalizing this, stowing it away. The British teen sighed and let his hand drop to his side just sharing the silence.

He saw Bakura move up behind them out of the corner of his eye, the thief taking one look at Yami before pulling Ryou close to him, the three remaining silent.

Some traitorous part of Ryou was happy that this had happened. It meant that Yami could come back with them and return to being the Pharaoh instead of Atemu Seti. But that part of him was beaten back down quickly. That would never happen. Yami hadn't abandoned them, he had just moved on to his next project, or that was how Ryou thought of it.

Besides, it was impossible for Yami to come back. He was dead to the people of that part of Domino. And, because of him, there would be peace for a long time on their side of the world. Ryou couldn't wish for anything better.

Except that Yami would get a happy ending for once. But even that seemed out of Yami's reach at the moment.

Ryou sighed, pulling away from Bakura to stand by his big brother, waiting for Yami to realize that they were still there. Dull crimson eyes turned to look at him, blinking slowly before Yami stood up straight. He cleared his throat, obviously trying to hide the fact that he had been crying. "Ryou?"

"What now, Yami?" The teenager shrugged, suddenly looking more fragile. Ryou cursed his bad phrasing, shaking his head before trying again. "How do we get you back?"

Ryou made sure that his tone of voice held no question that Yami was going back. To his surprise, Yami didn't protest, pulling away from the wall to shrug. "I don't know. Things should be going back to normal now that I defeated that creature. The sword isn't here anymore."

The British teen looked around, finding that Yami was right. He had never considered that before, just forgetting about the weapon for the moment. That meant that it was back in the demon where it belonged and everything was finished.

Ryou took a step back, staring at the blank space that had hosted the demon's death throws. This ending was unexpected, the same sense of fulfillment lacking from this one. They had defeated the demon…no, Yami had defeated the demon without any of them there. He had been completely alone.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, turning to look back at Yami in the dim hope that something had changed. Nothing had. Ryou dropped his hand back to his side, Bakura discretely catching it and giving it a squeeze before releasing it.

"Yami…"

"Ryou." He glanced up at Yami, shocked to see his big brother beginning to fade away. Yami held a hand in front of his face, turning the limb as it dissolved into the air. The hand dropped, Yami look scared.

"You're going back, Yami. It'll be alright." Ryou tried to smile at the fear in Yami's eyes, hoping it was from the sight of his own body dissolving instead of not wanting to go back. There was no way Ryou was going to let Yami skip out on that. "We'll meet you there."

He flashed Yami a smile before the teenager disappeared completely. Without wasting a moment, Ryou grabbed Bakura's hand and started running back towards the game shop. He wanted to be there when Yami woke up, not really knowing for sure what his big brother would do. And he was sure that Tomoya would be no help. As much as he enjoyed the company of the blonde teenager, he knew that Tomoya only barely trusted Yami, and this was enough to snap his trust. What Tomoya held against his big brother Ryou would never know, but it was enough to scare him this much.

Thankfully, Bakura didn't ask for an explanation as they hurtled through the streets, sometimes having to dodge around the cars that were beginning to appear on the roads again. He didn't pay much attention to them, despite Bakura's cursing when the two had to separate to avoid getting run over.

There were more important things for him to worry about at the moment.

* * *

Yugi opened his eyes slowly, groaning as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes to clear them, one hand absently making its way down to his stomach to where he should have been run through. A smile crossed his face as he realized that he was fine. Everything was back to normal.

Yugi pushed the covers off of him, swinging his legs over to the side of his bed. He was back and Yami had defeated the demon, everything was alright. He gave a little giggle, partially embarrassed by the sound, but let himself off this once. They had just saved the world without any complications.

He looked down at his floor, his good mood dissolving quickly as he saw the body that was sprawled out there. Yugi gasped and hopped down from his bed, kneeling beside Yami and reaching out to shake him lightly. When there was no response, Yugi gave a little harder shake, staring at his lover.

There was no reason for Yami to be out like this still. Unless…unless something had gone horribly wrong.

"Yami? Yami, please get up." He sat back, waiting for Yami to respond, but there was still nothing. Yugi bit his lip and looked out through his skylight, wracking his brain for answers. Surely Yami had to have come back by now. He reached down again, keeping his hand on Yami's shoulder. "Yami this isn't funny. Please wake up!"

He tensed at the sound off feet running up the stairs. Of course his friends would be over to check on him, but he didn't want them here _now_. He had to figure what was wrong with Yami first, then he could deal with the rest of the world. Right now, he was too worried about his lover, his mind supplying another time that Yami hadn't gotten up, Yugi shivering at the memory.

The door burst open while he was gathering himself, Yugi getting a glimpse of all his friend's happy faces before Joey pulled him away into a one armed hug, Yugi pulling at the arm that was around his waist. He wanted to be by Yami right now in case the teen got up.

"Yug', we were worried sick!" He tried to smile for Joey, all the while still trying to escape. He thought he was free when Joey finally let go, only to be swept up into a hug by Tèa, his one female friend close to tears.

"We thought that we would never see you again."

"I'm fine." Yugi wiggled out of her hold, smiling at Tristan before walking back over to Yami, kneeling on the floor. "Has anyone else…"

"Ryou." Yugi blinked at the name, turning his head to see Tomoya leaning against his desk. His oldest friend gave him a wave before continuing to talk. "He went after you somehow and he was the first awake. Left a little while ago in a rush."

Yugi's heart began to pound. If Ryou was alright and he was, then why wasn't Yami up yet? He gave is lover another shake before pulling Yami onto his lap, worriedly running his fingers over his lover's face. He felt the stares of the others on him, forcing himself to ignore them for a moment.

He reassured himself that Yami was still alive before looking up, unable to keep from biting his lower lip in worry. Tèa was the first to sit down on the floor, Joey and Tristan both looking at a loss. She scooted closer to Yugi, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Yugi nodded, his gaze dropping back down to Yami. "I'm just worried about him."

"Why?" He tensed as Tomoya spoke, forcing himself to calm down a moment later. He was just scared, which was why he was jumpy. There was no reason for him to lash out at his friends. "He's the one who got your soul taken away in the first place."

Yugi's eyes widened, his hands tightening briefly where they rested on Yami before he forced himself to relax, slowly looking up at Tomoya. "What?"

"He hasn't changed, Yugi. He's just using you still. All that love, everything about him is a lie."

"No."

"Yugi." Tomoya crouched on the ground in front of him, Yugi's natural inclination toward nonviolence crumbling quickly. But it was the honest look in Tomoya's eyes that made him stop. Tomoya believed this was true and he was only saying it because he thought that he could protect Yugi from an imagined harm. "Yugi, he's just using you."

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Yugi smiled, a true smile. He shook his head slowly, a short laugh escaping him. Yugi raised his eyes to met Tomoya's trying to put all his conviction in his gaze. "There was one a time that I would have agreed with you, but not anymore. Not after everything that's happened."

He stopped there, letting Tomoya take that however he wanted. He wouldn't tell anyone the whole story of what happened to Yami, everything that the teenager had given up for him. Yugi just couldn't doubt Yami, not after he had done things like that.

Yugi gave a faint smile, cuddling Yami close before standing up. And if was exactly for that reason that he believed that Yami would always come back to him. He placed his lover carefully on the bed, making sure to tuck him in before kissing his forehead. Yugi remained there for a moment before sitting down on the edge of the bed. He could wait.

All his friends were staring at him, Yugi blinking in surprise at his sudden shift to the center of attention.

"Yug' have ya…I mean…" Joey made an awkward motion with his hands, Yugi staring at him in confusion before it made sense. He burst out into laughter, more from Joey's abortive hand motion than anything else. The others were looking at him strangely, Yugi waving off their concern before nodding.

"Yeah." He blushed at the stares that he got, especially the sputtering from Tomoya. He looked at his oldest friend for a long time before leaning back on his hands, carefully avoiding Yami, shrugging at the same time.

The awkward silence carried on for a while until Tèa cleared her throat, Yugi grateful that she had taken charge of the situation. "Well…dinner should be ready soon. You're coming down to eat with us, Yugi. Let's go."

He nodded reluctantly before sliding off the bed, glancing back at Yami once before trailing at the end of the group. Yugi shuffled to the doorway, not wanting to leave Yami behind. He wanted to be there when Yami woke up, not have Yami wake up and think that he wasn't around.

Yugi was at the door when a soft groan made him stop, turning while leaning on the door. There was silence for a while, Yugi almost ready to leave again when he heard the familiar voice. "Aibou?"

"Yami!" Yugi ran across the room, jumping onto the bed and wrapping his boyfriend in a hug. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." The reply was muffled, Yugi too distracted by the feeling of Yami wrapping his arms around him. Content, Yugi nuzzled Yami's neck, both of them falling back onto the bed. They arranged themselves automatically, Yugi resting his head on Yami's chest over his heart with Yami kept his arms wrapped around the shorter teen.

The two had a moment of quiet before Tèa peeked back in, her eyes widening before she gave a nod and slipped away. Yugi smiled at the doorway, even though Tèa wasn't there anymore before cuddling closer to Yami.

"I thought…I…"

"Yami?"

"I thought that I had killed you."

Yugi couldn't help it, he giggled, turning his head so that he could look at Yami. At the confused look on his boyfriend, he leaned up to kiss the underside of Yami's jaw. "I knew it would be alright. Trust me?"

There was a long pause before Yami gave a nod. "Yes."

"Good." Yugi snuggled closer again, feeling his eyes begin to fall shut. After everything that had happened today, he was exhausted. One hand groped for the covers, pulling them over both of them before sighing.

He didn't know how long they lay there in silence. Yugi opened one eye at the sound of someone moving across the room, wanting to roll to see who it was, but he was far too comfortable. He heard the person pad across the room, seeing and arm reach across them to tap on Yami's shoulder, making Yami groan a bit.

"Big brother?"

"'M trying to sleep, Ryou."

"Alright. I just had to check."

"Right." Yugi smiled as Yami rolled back to him, sighing. He could hear Ryou making his way back across the room, falling asleep before the British teen even reached the door.

_

* * *

_

_Alright, the next chapter is the last one._

_Alright, quick announcement. Because Evil Angel is close to being done, I'm going to move Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh to it's slot as soon as it is done. This means that it will not be updated on Saturdays and Sundays anymore, but on Wednesdays and Fridays, staring as soon as Evil Angel is done (and that only has one chapter left anyway). Because of this, The Nameless Pharaoh won't be updated June 5th and 6th but it will be updated on the 9th and start its new schedule there. Sorry for any confusion._

_Please read and review. Criticism is always welcome._


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds or the song Evil Angel; they both belong to their respective owners.

**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen**

The red haired woman checked the address on the piece of paper, looking at the old church before taking a firmer hold of Rebecca's hand. Normally, she would never consider one of these places, but then again, Dartz had left her a note; the same note that she read nearly obsessively. He had been right about the game shop, so she would trust him on this.

"Mommy," she looked down at Rebecca, the blonde girl clutching her bear, "the people at school say that this is a bad place."

"Well-"

"Hello." Iona was startled by the deep voice, turning quickly and then relaxing as she stared at the teenager behind her. He offered a smile as a way of apology before walking towards them. She took in his tri-colored hair and the golden bracelet on his wrist before she looked back up at his eyes, shocked by their crimson color.

"Hello." She offered her own hand to shake, smiling when the teenager accepted her hand. He let go and rocked back onto his heels, staring at the church that loomed over them.

"So, interesting in helping one of these guys out?"

Iona nodded, giving Rebecca a fond glance. "My husband and I could never have kids of our own and we wanted a big family. But, he died, just a few weeks ago." The teenager bowed his head for a moment before looking at her. Iona was relieved that he didn't offer the same condolences that everyone else did. "I still want a large family, but I'd rather adopt children who need the homes."

The teenager nodded, seeming to thing something over before shrugging and beginning to walk towards the church. "Well, you've come to the right place. Although, I have to warn you, this is the best we can do on our own. And, no, we're not turning them over to the system."

There was something in his tone that made Iona ask, "Why?"

"My sister was in the orphanages of Domino after she had been here." The teenager paused, Iona following his gaze to the weed ridden graveyard. "She never left."

Iona glanced at the graveyard and then at the teenager who was walking into the church, feeling a rush of sympathy towards him. Of course she knew how most people would treat those who lived over here, she had grown up in this city. But she had never thought, not even once, that they would think that of children.

She took a better hold of Rebecca's hand before they walked into the church after him, her eyes going wide at the disarray that greeted her. Iona easily found the teenager waiting at the base of a set of stairs, a sheepish smile on his face. "It's the best we can do."

He was moving off again before she could speak, leading her up onto the second floor. As they walked she could hear the voices of children getting louder, Rebecca perking up at the sound. Iona smiled fondly at her adopted daughter, feeling bad that she had to be brought into the sight of this so soon. Iona shrugged to herself, helping Rebecca over the uneven last step as the teenager waited for them at the top.

He smiled before opening the door and stepping into the room. Iona got a glimpse of a group of children playing with worn toys before they all rushed forward with a cry of, "Uncle Yami!"

The teenager was pushed to the floor under the flood of children, Iona chuckling to herself as she watching him flail, the children finally moving back far enough for him to sit up, a few still clinging to him.

"Yami, I got a new motorcycle and it's better than Jack's!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah. Mine is red!"

"Yami, Yami! Look what I can do! Martin can sit on my head!"

"Yami I got this new card! Isn't it cool?"

The teenager paid each child equal attention, congratulating them on all the discoveries that they had recently made. He looked back at her once, a slight jerk of his head an invitation for her to join them. Iona cautiously slipped into the room, feeling Rebecca sticking close behind her.

The children looked up at her as she entered, staring before looking at Yami for an explanation. The teenager smiled, sitting back. "Everyone, this is Iona, she's come to adopt one of you."

Quiet settled over the room with that statement, the children looking at each other before looking back at Yami. Finally, one spoke up, a blonde who's hair rose up in spikes and wore sweats. "You didn't get adopted."

"No. I didn't." Yami sat back, allowing freeing up room on his lap. The young boy with the brown fur ball rushed to take the available space, smiling at everyone as he settled down, the fur ball immediately going back onto his head. Yami smiled at the child, shaking his head.

"Then why do we?"

Yami gave a shrug. "Maybe some of you want to be in a family."

The blonde kid made a face. "Families are no fun. I'd rather stay here with Yusei. He's more fun."

The teenager looked like he was about to answer that question when the boy on his lap piped up. "Will they get to come back and visit? 'Cause we were their family first."

Yami tipped back, looking at Iona from a partially upside down position. "Will they?"

Iona nodded emphatically, a smile breaking across her face. "Of course. We'll come back to visit." She turned to get an agreement from Rebecca suddenly noticing that the blonde girl had gone off. She searched for her adopted daughter and found her sitting near a brunette girl with her hair in braids, both of them playing with Rebecca's teddy bear.

Iona made her way over to Rebecca, the blonde girl smiling at her before returning to her play. "This is Kris. She's really nice."

"Hello Kris." There was a mumbled reply back as Kris refused to make eye contact. Iona smiled to herself and looked up at a chuckle, finding herself looking at a young woman. The woman gave a short wave of welcome, her eyes scanning over the children before returning to Iona.

"She can be shy around strangers." There was a pause, the silence on the brink of becoming awkward when the woman motioned for Iona to follow her. "Yami can make sure that these guys don't get into any trouble. Let's talk."

They found a place where they could still see all the children, falling into a conversation. Iona spoke of her life up to now, the woman, whose name was Malinda, offering condolences. In exchange, Malinda spoke of how the children had come here and why they were here and no where else.

"They aren't treated right, Yami can attest to that." A jerk of her head brought Iona's attention to the teenager, who had been roped into a game of hide and seek. "He lives over there now for the most part and has had threats almost daily. It scares me to think that they hate us that much."

"They're all just idiots."

Malinda gave a laugh. "That's what I think too." They fell back into silence as they watched Yami chase after Jaden, faking a mortal injury as Chazz used Martin as a weapon. The children immediately swarmed over Yami, the teenager laughing. Iona was brought back to Malinda as the woman sighed. "He's good for them, but they need something more. I try my best but sometimes it's not enough."

"They're all really sweet."

Malinda nodded. "And this is normal for them. They love it whenever someone comes over because, mostly it's only me. And, sometimes, I think that they deserve much more."

Iona sighed, resting her chin in one of her hands. Kris and Rebecca had joined the group now, demanding stories from the teenager which he happily obliged. She sat up, looking over at Malinda. "Would you mind if…"

Malinda shook her head. "No. They deserve a chance at a better life. Just come back every once and a while. This is the only family they've know, and they'll miss it."

The two women smiled at each other before Iona went over to retrieve Rebecca, lingering among the children for a while before approaching Kris. "Would you like to come home with us?"

The brunette hesitated, looking over at Rebecca who nodded. "Please. We could be sisters!"

Kris gave a little laugh at Rebecca's enthusiasm before nodding herself. "I'd like that, but…"

"We'll come and visit! Mommy said it was alright!" Kris brightened at that, a real smile crossing her face before she impulsively hugged Iona. Iona laughed and looked up at Yami, who gave her a nod and stood up, removing kids from his limbs.

"I've got to get back, guys." There was a chorus of disappointed shouts with his announcement, Yami having to reach down to pry Syrus off one of his legs. "I'm sorry, but Yugi will worry."

"Bring Yugi next time. Then you can stay longer." Jaden offered the snippet of logic, nodding his head until the winged Kuriboh that perched on it fell off. He squeaked and rushed to pick it up. "Martin!"

A few more good-byes and the four of them were walking out of the church, Kris clinging nervously to Yami. The teenager walked them as far as he could, stopping at one bridge over the river and carefully pulling Kris away from him. "Be good, alright."

Kris nodded before giving him a quick hug and rushing over towards Rebecca. "Can Yami come over sometime?"

Iona gave a nod, already beginning to usher her two charges away. "Of course he can. As long as he behaves."

Yami put on a fake look of shock, Kris laughing at that. "Hear that Uncle Yami? You have to behave."

The teenager rolled his eyes and pretended to walk away angrily, pausing once to wave back at them before breaking into an easy jog and disappearing over the bridge. Iona watched him go with a smile on her face, most of her attention on Rebecca's endless chatter about what they were going to do as soon as they got home.

* * *

"See ya tomorrow, Yug'. I'll beat ya yet!" Yugi laughed and waved to his friends, hearing the inevitable argument between Tristan and Joey as the brunette doubted Joey's ability. Tèa would probably let him fight, annoyed after having to mother the two all day.

He stretched out his back, a bit sore from hunching over the video games at the arcade. Yugi gave a happy sigh, tipping his head to look at the sky before turning towards his home. Hopefully Yami would be back but now, having to turn down the invitation to the arcade to go back to the old church. Although his boyfriend hadn't told him much about the errand, Yugi trusted Yami to fill him in later.

The short teenager was about to walk into his home when he spotted Tomoya walking out of his house, the two of them looking at each other for a long while before the blonde teenager turned away and began walking off. Yugi sighed and shook his head, walking into the shop and automatically greeting his grandfather. His thoughts were occupied with his oldest friend as he walked up to his room, intent on finishing what homework he had left.

The friendship between Tomoya and himself had himself felt strained now, better in the times that Yami wasn't around. But Yugi had expected that, especially after how Tomoya had approached him about Yami in the first place. After years of believing that Yami had kidnapped him, it would be hard to trust him. Although, Yugi couldn't understand how Tomoya had kept his hatred alive for almost four years.

It was an impossible thing to Yugi.

He trudged down the hall, shouldering his door open and flopping on the floor, staring up through the skylight. His homework could wait for a little while more, right now he wanted to figure this thing out.

He still wanted to be friends with Tomoya and that feeling seemed to be mutual. The bespectacled teenager fit in with their group to the point where it was almost automatic to include him in things without thinking. But it was Tèa who always brought up Yami, a fact that Yugi was thankful for.

To the rest of them, Yami was an extension of Yugi and, therefore, part of the group. It was assumed that, unless either one of them spoke up about it, that Yami would be coming along if Yugi was. Tèa saved them from those awkward gatherings by actually voicing the question, which gave Tomoya a chance to back out; a thing that was happening more often as time went on.

Yugi rubbed a hand over his face, shaking his head at the same time. Tomoya would have to get over this himself, but that didn't meant that Yugi was less frustrated by his friend's avoidance of Yami. It would make things so much easier…But if Yugi had learned anything, it was that life never went as smoothly as people wanted it to.

He picked himself up from the ground and shuffled to his desk, sitting on the chair and staring at the homework that he had left until now, his mind barely comprehending it. Thankfully, for a while, the problem with Tomoya was pushed out of his mind for a slightly larger problem. "When did she teach us this? "

* * *

"ARGH!"

"Homework that bad, aibou?" Yami barely had the time to get the sentence out before Yugi had thrown himself at him. Yami hugged his boyfriend back, laughing as Yugi expounded on how horrible the homework really was. Yami moved awkwardly over to the desk, Yugi still attached to him, and peered at the paper, a smile making its way across his face. "Oh, I finished that in class."

"How?" He was shoved back onto the bed by a frantic Yugi, laughing as the shorter teenager attempted to calm himself down. "How could you do this in class when I don't remember learning it at all?"

"Well, for one, I didn't quite do it the way they taught us." Yugi raised an eyebrow, Yami laughing and patting his back. "Don't worry, I got the teacher to admit that it was an alternate way of doing it…grudgingly."

They both laughed, Yugi settling into a comfortable position in Yami's arms and yawning. Yami gave his aibou a gentle shake, ignoring the sleepy attempt at a glare that was aimed at him. "Come on, you still have to finish it."

"Yami, I'm sure heaven doesn't care about my math scores."

"You never know, Yugi."

He was waved off, Yugi curling into his usual sleeping position, using Yami as a pillow. "I'll do it tomorrow. Comfy."

"Aibou…"

"Tired."

Yami stopped trying to argue with him at that, relaxing as Yugi drifted off to sleep. He felt his own eyes starting to droop closed, but kept them open to watch Yugi for a little while longer. He had to convince himself that it wasn't a dream, this amazing new life that he had found was not just a dream. He wouldn't wake up tomorrow and find himself back with Ryou and Bakura, having to trudge to the _Baroness_ to argue with Noa.

His thoughts were interrupted by Dartz slipping in through the wall, the angel hesitating before walking over. Yami looked up watching as the angel flinched before carefully making his way across the room. Dartz hesitated by the bed before giving a nod and whispering, "Thank you." He walked out of the room again, presumably to go back to his own charge.

Although there had been no formal apology for the accusations, they had fallen back into their normal pattern, Dartz a bit more worried about the strained friendship that Tomoya had with all of them. But that would pass, Yami was sure about it. Tomoya would figure out what he wanted and then…it was anyone's guess.

He leaned up to kiss Yugi's temple, getting a coo from the shorter teen, Yugi snuggling closer. Yami began to absently stroke his back, staring up at the ceiling above them. With the sun setting the view from the skylight would be fantastic, but Yami was too comfortable to move. And, after all, he could just watch the play of light over Yugi which was, in his opinion much more beautiful.

Yami shifted slightly, keeping a hold on Yugi so the shorter teen wouldn't wake up with the move. These were the parts of the day that he enjoyed the most, these slow moments where he could just breathe and enjoy. Yugi twitched in his sleep, mumbling something. Yami smiled to himself, kissing Yugi's forehead again before settling back. "You're cute aibou."

END

_

* * *

_

_And there you have it. Thank you for all the reviews and for reading this, I hope you guys enjoyed this fic._

_Also, as a quick announcement, instead of immediately posting a new story, I'm moving _Across the Cosmos: The Nameless Pharaoh_ to update on Wednesdays and Fridays instead of the usual Saturday and Sunday._


End file.
